ISAIAH 4 COMMENTARY

EDITED BY GLENN PEASE

1 In that day seven women

will take hold of one man

and say ldquoWe will eat our own food

and provide our own clothes

only let us be called by your name

Take away our disgracerdquo

1BARNES ldquoIn that day - The time of calamity referred to in the close of the previous chapter This is a continuation of that prophecy and there was no reason why these six verses should have been made a separate chapter That the passage refers to the Messiah is apparent from what has been stated in the note at the commencement of the prophecy Isa_21-4 and from the expressions which occur in the chapter itself see the notes at Isa_42 Isa_45-6

Seven women - The number ldquosevenrdquo is used often to denote a ldquolargerdquo though ldquoindefiniterdquo number Lev_2628 Pro_2416 Zec_39 It means that so great should be the calamity so many ldquomenrdquo would fall in battle that many women would contrary to their natural modesty become suitors to a single man to obtain him as a husband and protector

Shall take hold - Shall apply to The expression lsquoshall take holdrsquo denotes the ldquoearnestnessrdquo of their application

We will eat our own bread - We do not ask this in order to be maintained We will forego that which the law Exo_2110 enjoins as the duty of the husband in case he has more than one wife

Only let us be called by thy name - Let us be regarded as ldquothy wivesrdquo The wife then as now assumed the name of the husband A remarkably similar expression occurs in Lucan (B ii 342) Marcia there presents a similar request to Cato

Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia

lsquoIndulge me only with the empty title of wife Let there only be inscribed on my tomb ldquoMarcia wife of Catordquorsquo

To take away my reproach - The reproach of being unmarried compare Gen_3023 1Sa_16

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd seven women - The division of the chapters has interrupted the prophetrsquos discourse and broken it off almost in the midst of the sentence ldquoThe numbers slain in battle shall be so great that seven women shall be left to one manrdquo The prophet has described the greatness of this distress by images and adjuncts the most expressive and forcible The young women contrary to their natural modesty shall become suitors to the men they will take hold of them and use the most pressing importunity to be married In spite of the natural suggestions of jealousy they will be content with a share only of the rights of marriage in common with several others and that on hard conditions renouncing the legal demands of the wife on the husband (see Exo_2110) and begging only the name and credit of wedlock and to be freed from the reproach of celibacy See Isa_544 Isa_545 Like Marcia on a different occasion and in other circumstances -

Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia

Lucan 2342

ldquoThis happenedrdquo says Kimchi ldquoin the days of Ahaz when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day see 2Ch_186 The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said lsquoThey are multiplied beyond the sand of the searsquordquo Jer_158

In that day - These words are omitted in the Septuagint and MSS

3 GILL ldquoAnd in that day seven women shall take hold of one man Not in the days of Ahaz when Pekah son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand men in one day 2Ch_286 as Kimchi thinks for though there was then such a destruction of men yet at the same time two hundred thousand women with sons and daughters were carried captive by the Israelites 2Ch_288 but in the days of Vespasian and Titus and in the time of their wars with the Jews in which were made such slaughters of men that there were not enough left for every woman to have a husband and therefore seven or a great many sue to one man to marry them contrary to their natural bashfulness It is a tradition of the Jews mentioned both by Jarchi and Kimchi that Nebuchadnezzar ordered his army that none of them should marry another mans wife wherefore every woman sought to get a husband but the time of this prophecy does not agree with it saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel which used to be provided for wives by their husbands and that according to law Exo_2110 but rather than be without a husband they promise in order to engage him to marry them to provide food and raiment for themselves by their own labour The Arabic version adds neither in anything will we be troublesome only let us be called by thy name let us be married to thee let us become thy wives for upon marriage the woman was called by her husbands name to take away our reproach of being unmarried and having no offspring or it may be rendered in the imperative take away our reproach (l) so the Targum Septuagint and Oriental versions The words may be accommodated in a spiritual sense to some professors of religion who lay hold on Christ in a professional way but spend their money for that which is not bread and live upon their own duties and services and not on Christ and wear their own

rags of righteousness and not his robe only they desire to be called by the name of Christians to take away the reproach of being reckoned Pagans or infidels

4 HENRY ldquoIt was threatened (Isa_325) that the mighty men should fall by the sword in war and it was threatened as a punishment to the women that affected gaiety and a loose sort of conversation Now here we have the effect and consequence of that great slaughter of men 1 That though Providence has so wisely ordered that communibus annis - on an average of years there is nearly an equal number of males and females born into the world yet through the devastations made by war there should scarcely be one man in seven left alive As there are deaths attending the bringing forth of children which are peculiar to the woman who was first in transgression so to balance that there are deaths peculiar to men those by the sword in the high places of the field which perhaps devour more than child-bed does Here it is foretold that such multitudes of men should be cut off that there should be seven women to one man 2 That by reason of the scarcity of men though marriage should be kept up for the raising of recruits and the preserving of the race of mankind upon earth yet the usual method of it should be quite altered - that whereas men ordinarily make their court to the women the women should now take hold of the men foolishly fearing (as Lots daughters did when they saw the ruin of Sodom and perhaps thought it reached further than it did) that in a little time there would be none left (Gen_1931) - that whereas women naturally hate to come in sharers with others seven should now by consent become the wives of one man - and that whereas by the law the husband was obliged to provide food and raiment for his wife (Exo_2110) which with many would be the most powerful argument against multiplying wives these women will be bound to support themselves they will eat bread of their own earning and wear apparel of their own working and the man they court shall be at no expense upon them only they desire to be called his wives to take away the reproach of a single life They are willing to be wives upon any terms though ever so unreasonable and perhaps the rather because in these troublesome times it would be a kindness to them to have a husband for their protector Paul on the contrary thinks the single state preferable in a time of distress 1Co_726 It were well if this were not introduced here partly as a reflection upon the daughters of Zion that notwithstanding the humbling providences they were under (Isa_318) they remained unhumbled and instead of repenting of their pride and vanity when God was contending with them for them all their care was to get husbands - that modesty which is the greatest beauty of the fair sex was forgotten and with them the reproach of vice was nothing to the reproach of virginity a sad symptom of the irrecoverable desolations of virtue

5 JAMISON ldquothat day mdash the calamitous period described in previous chapter

seven mdash indefinite number among the Jews So many men would be slain that there would be very many more women than men for example seven women contrary to their natural bashfulness would sue to (equivalent to ldquotake hold ofrdquo Isa_36) one man to marry them

eat own bread mdash foregoing the privileges which the law (Exo_2110) gives to wives when a man has more than one

reproach mdash of being unwedded and childless especially felt among the Jews who were looking for ldquothe seed of the womanrdquo Jesus Christ described in Isa_42 Isa_541 Isa_544 Luk_125

6 KampD ldquoWhen war shall thus unsparingly have swept away the men of Zion a most unnatural effect will ensue namely that women will go in search of husbands and not men in search of wives ldquoAnd seven women lay hold of one man in that day saying We will eat our won bread and wear our own clothes only let thy name be named upon us take away our reproachrdquo The division of the chapters is a wrong one here as this v is the closing v of the prophecy against the women and the closing portion of the whole address does not begin till Isa_42 The present pride of the daughters of Zion every one of whom now thought herself the greatest as the wife of such and such a man and for whom many men were now the suitors would end in this unnatural self-humiliation that seven of them would offer themselves to the same man the first man who presented himself and even renounce the ordinary legal claim upon their husband for clothing and food (Exo_2110) It would be quite sufficient for them to be allowed to bear his name (ldquolet thy name be named upon usrdquo the name is put upon the thing named as giving it its distinctness and character) if he would only take away their reproach (namely the reproach of being unmarried Isa_544 as in Gen_3023 of being childless) by letting them be called his wives The number seven (seven women to one man) may be explained on the ground that there is a bad seven as well as a holy one (eg Mat_1245)

In Isa_41 the threat denounced against the women of Jerusalem is brought to a close It is the side-piece to the threat denounced against the national rulers And these two scenes of judgment were only parts of the general judgment about to fall upon Jerusalem and Judah as a state or national community And this again was merely a portion viz the central group of the picture of a far more comprehensive judgment which was about to fall upon everything lofty and exalted on the earth Jerusalem therefore stands here as the centre and focus of the great judgment-day It was in Jerusalem that the ungodly glory which was ripe for judgment was concentrated and it was in Jerusalem also that the light of the true and final glory would concentrate itself To this promise with which the address returns to its starting-point the prophet now passes on without any further introduction In fact it needed no introduction for the judgment in itself was the medium of salvation When Jerusalem was judged it would be sifted and by being sifted it would be rescued pardoned glorified The prophet proceeds in this sense to speak of what would happen in that day and describes the one great day of God at the end of time (not a day of four-and-twenty hours any more than the seven days of creation were) according to its general character as opening with judgment but issuing in salvation

7 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6

belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

8 BI ldquoThe climax of Zionrsquos ruin

This verse should be part of the preceding chapter the very climax indeed of the ruin which Zion has brought upon herself (Read Isa_325-26) In this verse the course of nature is inverted This is the ruin which sin always works The picture is that of a country desolated by war and when the census comes to be taken it is found that there are seven women to one man The men are murdered the strong have been taken away the mighty men have gone down in the shock of war (J Parker D D)

Social anarchy

A companion picture to Isa_36mdashthe male population are in search of a ruler the women in search of a husband (R Weir)

8 PULPIT ldquoImmortality in a continued race

Take thou away our reproach This verse has been much misconceived Its figures are Eastern and their interpretation depends on our knowledge of the condition and sentiments of Eastern women It is simply a forcible description of the calamities brought upon a nation by continued war The men were to fall by the sword and the slaughter was to be so great that the number of women should far exceed the number of men who should survive Now to be unmarried and childless is an occasion of the greatest reproach in the East from the Jewish standpoint this was not only a great sorrow but a great shame implying as was then thought some sin of which it was the chastisement And there was a yet deeper sentiment concerning childlessness which needs to be taken into account Immortality was in those older days thought of as a family rather than a personal privilege A man lived on lived again in his descendants LaRuge says In its most ancient parts the Old Testament knows no other genuine life than that on this earth and thus no other continuation of living after death than by means of children To be childless was then the same as being deprived of continuance after death It corresponded to the being damned of the New Testament In their distress and wretchedness the young women who had minced and flirted through Jerusalem with their gay clothing and fine trinkets contrary to their natural modesty would become suitors to the men and under the hardest conditions seek the name and credit of wedlock to be free from the reproach that would otherwise be their portion Kimchi the Jewish commentator says this happened in the days of Ahaz when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judaea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas (Jer_158) The idea that mans immortality is the continuance of the race has been revived and set attractively before the people in modern poetry and literature and though it is only a small piece of the truth concern-inn mans future a mere beginning in the revelation of mans immortality we need not hesitate to recognize it as a partial truth and to set before ourselves those views of the responsibility of our present lives which it suggests We know that life and immortality for the individual have been brought to light by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and in this failer and higher and more satisfying revelation we heartily rejoice but still we may learn something by occupying for a moment the older standpoint I THE IMMORTALITY OF A NATION IS ITS PERMANENCY AS A FREE PEOPLE This is illustrated by the anxiety of Eastern kings to secure heirs to their thrones and continuance to their dynasties Divine judgments cut off kingly races as that of Saul Omri etc Divine promises assured that Davids and

Solomons kingdoms should endure forever Nations as such have no immortality in a future state II THE IMMORTALITY OF A GENERATION IS ITS REPRODUCTION IN SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS One generation passeth and another cometh and in a very true sense the next generation is the old one restored under somewhat varying conditions The genius of a generation is immortal only in the generations that follow it III THE IMMORTALITY OF A MAN IS THE FAMILY HE STARTS This explains the ambition to found a family which is not merely mans monument but the man himself living again and living on through the ages He puts his personal impress upon his children and the childrens children keep alive the idiosyncrasy of the parent Illustrate from the Abrahamic race which is in a sense the immortality of Abraham IV THE PRACTICAL BEARING OF SUCH A VIEW OF IMMORTALITY It fills with seriousness the position of all parents What manner of persons ought they to be if they are thus to be perpetuated A nation must be righteous if it is to be worth continuing A generation must be physically and morally healthy if its impress on the coming generations is to be a blessing The father the mother must bear pure true worthy characters if their family is to be an honor He who seeks an immortality in his race is bound to see to it that he only perpetuates goodness integrity truth faith and all things that are noble From this lower position the preacher may easily advance to argue how much more solemn life has become for us now that nobler views of the future are revealed by him who came forth out of the eternal mysteries and has passed again within them that we might henceforth read our earth-lives in the light of that sublime personal immortality which he has disclosedmdashRT

9 CALVIN ldquo1In that day shall seven women take hold of one man He pursues the same subject and

unquestionably this discourse is immediately connected with what goes before This verse certainly ought not to have been separated from the preceding By this circumstance he describes more fully the nature of that desolation and calamity which he had formerly threatened against the Jews for hypocrites unless the threatening be conceived in strong terms either disregard or palliate warnings so that Godrsquo severity never produces its proper effect upon them From the effect therefore he describes the appalling nature of the approaching calamity that they may not indulge the hope of making an easy escape As if he had said ldquo not imagine that it will be of moderate extent lessening your numbers in a small degree for utter destruction awaits you so that hardly one man will be found for seven women rdquo The phrase take hold of conveys the same meaning It is no doubt inconsistent with the modesty of the sex that a woman should of her own accord offer herself to a man But the Prophet says that not only will they do this but that seven women will as it were lay hands on a man and keep hold of him so small will be the number of men The greatness of the calamity is likewise denoted by what immediately follows we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel for as it is a duty which belongs to a husband to support his wife and family the women ask a husband for themselves on unreasonable conditions when they release him from all concern about supplying them with food Very great must therefore be the scarcity of men when a great number of women laying aside modesty are not only constrained to solicit one man but do not even shrink from the agreement to procure their own victuals and request nothing more from a husband than to receive them within the bond of marriage Let thy name be called on us It may be rendered Let us be called by thy name for when a woman passes into the family of her husband she is called by his name and loses her own because the husband is her head (1Co_113) Hence the vail is a token of subjection and Abimelech said to Sarah Thy husband Abraham shall be a covering to thy head (Gen_2016) But if she remain unmarried she is concealed under the name of her family That this is the true meaning of that mode of expression is sufficiently evident from what Jacob says when blessing his grandchildren Let my name and the name of my fathers

Abraham and Isaac be called on them (Gen_4816) that is ldquo them be reckoned as our descendants and let them be partakers of the covenant and never excluded from it as were Esau and Ishmaelrdquo In the same manner also do heathen writers speak as in Lucan Marcia wishing to return to Cato says ldquo me only the bare name of marriage let permission be given that it may be inscribed on my tomb Marcia the wife of Catordquo (70) And take away our reproach Their reason for saying so is that women are sometimes treated with disdain when they do not obtain husbands not only because they appear to be despised as unworthy but because among the ancient people offspring was reckoned an important blessing and therefore the Prophet says that they will be desirous to wipe away this reproach and will employ every argument for that purpose Lastly he declares that the calamity will be so great that almost all the men will be carried off (70) Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia Luc Phars 2342

The Branch of the LORD 2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be

beautiful and glorious and the fruitof the land will be

the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel

1BARNES ldquoThe branch of the Lord - יהוה צמח yehova13h tsemach ldquoThe sproutrdquo of Yahweh

This expression and this verse have had a great variety of interpretations The Septuagint reads it lsquoIn that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth to exalt and to glorify the remnant of Israelrsquo The Chaldee renders it lsquoIn that day the Messiah of the Lord shall be for joy and glory and the doers of the law for praise and honor to those of Israel who are deliveredrsquo It is clear that the passage is designed to denote some signal blessing that was to succeed the calamity predicted in the previous verses The only question is to what has the prophet

reference The word lsquobranchrsquo (צמח tsemach) is derived from the verb (צמח tsa13mach) signifying ldquoto sprout to spring uprdquo spoken of plants Hence the word ldquobranchrdquo means properly that which ldquoshoots uprdquo or ldquosproutsrdquo from the root of a tree or from a decayed tree compare Job_147-9

The Messiah is thus said to be lsquoa root of Jessersquo Rom_1112 compare Isa_111 note Isa_1110 note and lsquothe root and offspring of Davidrsquo Rev_2216 as being a ldquodescendantrdquo of Jesse that is as if Jesse should fall like an aged tree yet the ldquorootrdquo would sprout up and live The word lsquobranchrsquo occurs several times in the Old Testament and in most if not all with express reference to the Messiah Jer_235 lsquoBehold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a

righteous Branch and a king shall reignrsquo Jer_3315 lsquoIn those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto Davidrsquo Zec_38 Zec_612 In all these places there can be no doubt that there is reference to him who was ldquoto spring uprdquo from David as a sprout does from a decayed and fallen tree and who is therefore called a ldquorootrdquo a ldquobranchrdquo of the royal stock There is besides a special beauty in the figure

The family of David when the Messiah was to come would be fallen into decay and almost extinct Joseph the husband of Mary though of the royal family of David Mat_120 Luk_24 was poor and the family had lost all claims to the throne In this state as from the decayed root of a fallen tree a ldquosproutrdquo or ldquobranchrdquo was to come forth with more than the magnificence of David and succeed him on the throne The name lsquobranchrsquo therefore came to be significant of the Messiah and to be synonymous with lsquothe son of Davidrsquo It is so used doubtless in this place as denoting that the coming of the Messiah would be a joy and honor in the days of calamity to the Jews Interpreters have not been agreed however in the meaning of this passage Grotius supposed that it referred to Ezra or Nehemiah but lsquomystically to Christ and Christiansrsquo Vogellius understood it of the ldquoremnantrdquo that should return from the Babylonian captivity Michaelis supposed that it refers to the Jews who should be a ldquoreformedrdquo people after their captivity and who should spring up with a new spirit Others have regarded it as a poetic description of the extraordinary fertility of the earth in future times The reasons for referring it to the Messiah are plain

(1) The word has this reference in other places and the representation of the Messiah under the image of a branch or shoot is as we have seen common in the Scriptures Thus also in

Isa_532 he is called also שרש shoresh root and יונק yo13neq a tender plant a sucker sprout shoot as of a decayed tree compare Job_816 Job_147 Job_1530 Eze_1722 And in

reference to the same idea perhaps it is said Isa_538 that he was נגזר nı+gezar ldquocut offrdquo as a branch sucker or shoot is cut off by the vine-dresser or farmer from the root of a decayed tree

And thus in Rev_55 he is called ίζα∆αβδ riza Dabid - the root of David

(2) This interpretation accords best with the ldquomagnificencerdquo of the description Isa_45-6 and

(3) It was so understood by the Chaldee interpreter and doubtless by the ancient Jews

Shall be beautiful and glorious - Hebrew lsquoShall be beauty and gloryrsquo that is shall be the chief ornament or honor of the land shall be that which gives to the nation its chief distinction and glory In such times of calamity his coming shal be an object of desire and his approach shall shed a rich splendor on that period of the world

And the fruit of the earth - פרי הארץ perı+y ha13a13rets correctly rendered ldquofruit of the earth or of the landrdquo The word lsquoearthrsquo is often in the Scriptures used to denote the land of Judea and perhaps the article here is intended to denote that that land is particularly intended This is the parallel expression to the former part of the verse in accordance with the laws of Hebrew poetry by which one member of a sentence expresses substantially the same meaning as the former see the Introduction Section 8 If the former expression referred to the ldquoMessiahrdquo this does also The lsquofruit of the earthrsquo is that which the earth produces and is here not different in signification from the ldquobranchrdquo which springs out of the ground Vitringa supposes that by this phrase the Messiah according to his human nature is meant So Hengstenberg (ldquoChristology in locrdquo) understands it and supposes that as the phrase ldquobranch of Yahwehrdquo refers to his divine origin as proceeding from Yahweh so this refers to his human origin as proceeding from the earth But the objections to this are obvious

(1) The second phrase according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism is most naturally an echo or repetition of the sentiment in the first member and means substantially the same thing

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd seven women - The division of the chapters has interrupted the prophetrsquos discourse and broken it off almost in the midst of the sentence ldquoThe numbers slain in battle shall be so great that seven women shall be left to one manrdquo The prophet has described the greatness of this distress by images and adjuncts the most expressive and forcible The young women contrary to their natural modesty shall become suitors to the men they will take hold of them and use the most pressing importunity to be married In spite of the natural suggestions of jealousy they will be content with a share only of the rights of marriage in common with several others and that on hard conditions renouncing the legal demands of the wife on the husband (see Exo_2110) and begging only the name and credit of wedlock and to be freed from the reproach of celibacy See Isa_544 Isa_545 Like Marcia on a different occasion and in other circumstances -

Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia

Lucan 2342

ldquoThis happenedrdquo says Kimchi ldquoin the days of Ahaz when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day see 2Ch_186 The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said lsquoThey are multiplied beyond the sand of the searsquordquo Jer_158

In that day - These words are omitted in the Septuagint and MSS

3 GILL ldquoAnd in that day seven women shall take hold of one man Not in the days of Ahaz when Pekah son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand men in one day 2Ch_286 as Kimchi thinks for though there was then such a destruction of men yet at the same time two hundred thousand women with sons and daughters were carried captive by the Israelites 2Ch_288 but in the days of Vespasian and Titus and in the time of their wars with the Jews in which were made such slaughters of men that there were not enough left for every woman to have a husband and therefore seven or a great many sue to one man to marry them contrary to their natural bashfulness It is a tradition of the Jews mentioned both by Jarchi and Kimchi that Nebuchadnezzar ordered his army that none of them should marry another mans wife wherefore every woman sought to get a husband but the time of this prophecy does not agree with it saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel which used to be provided for wives by their husbands and that according to law Exo_2110 but rather than be without a husband they promise in order to engage him to marry them to provide food and raiment for themselves by their own labour The Arabic version adds neither in anything will we be troublesome only let us be called by thy name let us be married to thee let us become thy wives for upon marriage the woman was called by her husbands name to take away our reproach of being unmarried and having no offspring or it may be rendered in the imperative take away our reproach (l) so the Targum Septuagint and Oriental versions The words may be accommodated in a spiritual sense to some professors of religion who lay hold on Christ in a professional way but spend their money for that which is not bread and live upon their own duties and services and not on Christ and wear their own

rags of righteousness and not his robe only they desire to be called by the name of Christians to take away the reproach of being reckoned Pagans or infidels

4 HENRY ldquoIt was threatened (Isa_325) that the mighty men should fall by the sword in war and it was threatened as a punishment to the women that affected gaiety and a loose sort of conversation Now here we have the effect and consequence of that great slaughter of men 1 That though Providence has so wisely ordered that communibus annis - on an average of years there is nearly an equal number of males and females born into the world yet through the devastations made by war there should scarcely be one man in seven left alive As there are deaths attending the bringing forth of children which are peculiar to the woman who was first in transgression so to balance that there are deaths peculiar to men those by the sword in the high places of the field which perhaps devour more than child-bed does Here it is foretold that such multitudes of men should be cut off that there should be seven women to one man 2 That by reason of the scarcity of men though marriage should be kept up for the raising of recruits and the preserving of the race of mankind upon earth yet the usual method of it should be quite altered - that whereas men ordinarily make their court to the women the women should now take hold of the men foolishly fearing (as Lots daughters did when they saw the ruin of Sodom and perhaps thought it reached further than it did) that in a little time there would be none left (Gen_1931) - that whereas women naturally hate to come in sharers with others seven should now by consent become the wives of one man - and that whereas by the law the husband was obliged to provide food and raiment for his wife (Exo_2110) which with many would be the most powerful argument against multiplying wives these women will be bound to support themselves they will eat bread of their own earning and wear apparel of their own working and the man they court shall be at no expense upon them only they desire to be called his wives to take away the reproach of a single life They are willing to be wives upon any terms though ever so unreasonable and perhaps the rather because in these troublesome times it would be a kindness to them to have a husband for their protector Paul on the contrary thinks the single state preferable in a time of distress 1Co_726 It were well if this were not introduced here partly as a reflection upon the daughters of Zion that notwithstanding the humbling providences they were under (Isa_318) they remained unhumbled and instead of repenting of their pride and vanity when God was contending with them for them all their care was to get husbands - that modesty which is the greatest beauty of the fair sex was forgotten and with them the reproach of vice was nothing to the reproach of virginity a sad symptom of the irrecoverable desolations of virtue

5 JAMISON ldquothat day mdash the calamitous period described in previous chapter

seven mdash indefinite number among the Jews So many men would be slain that there would be very many more women than men for example seven women contrary to their natural bashfulness would sue to (equivalent to ldquotake hold ofrdquo Isa_36) one man to marry them

eat own bread mdash foregoing the privileges which the law (Exo_2110) gives to wives when a man has more than one

reproach mdash of being unwedded and childless especially felt among the Jews who were looking for ldquothe seed of the womanrdquo Jesus Christ described in Isa_42 Isa_541 Isa_544 Luk_125

6 KampD ldquoWhen war shall thus unsparingly have swept away the men of Zion a most unnatural effect will ensue namely that women will go in search of husbands and not men in search of wives ldquoAnd seven women lay hold of one man in that day saying We will eat our won bread and wear our own clothes only let thy name be named upon us take away our reproachrdquo The division of the chapters is a wrong one here as this v is the closing v of the prophecy against the women and the closing portion of the whole address does not begin till Isa_42 The present pride of the daughters of Zion every one of whom now thought herself the greatest as the wife of such and such a man and for whom many men were now the suitors would end in this unnatural self-humiliation that seven of them would offer themselves to the same man the first man who presented himself and even renounce the ordinary legal claim upon their husband for clothing and food (Exo_2110) It would be quite sufficient for them to be allowed to bear his name (ldquolet thy name be named upon usrdquo the name is put upon the thing named as giving it its distinctness and character) if he would only take away their reproach (namely the reproach of being unmarried Isa_544 as in Gen_3023 of being childless) by letting them be called his wives The number seven (seven women to one man) may be explained on the ground that there is a bad seven as well as a holy one (eg Mat_1245)

In Isa_41 the threat denounced against the women of Jerusalem is brought to a close It is the side-piece to the threat denounced against the national rulers And these two scenes of judgment were only parts of the general judgment about to fall upon Jerusalem and Judah as a state or national community And this again was merely a portion viz the central group of the picture of a far more comprehensive judgment which was about to fall upon everything lofty and exalted on the earth Jerusalem therefore stands here as the centre and focus of the great judgment-day It was in Jerusalem that the ungodly glory which was ripe for judgment was concentrated and it was in Jerusalem also that the light of the true and final glory would concentrate itself To this promise with which the address returns to its starting-point the prophet now passes on without any further introduction In fact it needed no introduction for the judgment in itself was the medium of salvation When Jerusalem was judged it would be sifted and by being sifted it would be rescued pardoned glorified The prophet proceeds in this sense to speak of what would happen in that day and describes the one great day of God at the end of time (not a day of four-and-twenty hours any more than the seven days of creation were) according to its general character as opening with judgment but issuing in salvation

7 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6

belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

8 BI ldquoThe climax of Zionrsquos ruin

This verse should be part of the preceding chapter the very climax indeed of the ruin which Zion has brought upon herself (Read Isa_325-26) In this verse the course of nature is inverted This is the ruin which sin always works The picture is that of a country desolated by war and when the census comes to be taken it is found that there are seven women to one man The men are murdered the strong have been taken away the mighty men have gone down in the shock of war (J Parker D D)

Social anarchy

A companion picture to Isa_36mdashthe male population are in search of a ruler the women in search of a husband (R Weir)

8 PULPIT ldquoImmortality in a continued race

Take thou away our reproach This verse has been much misconceived Its figures are Eastern and their interpretation depends on our knowledge of the condition and sentiments of Eastern women It is simply a forcible description of the calamities brought upon a nation by continued war The men were to fall by the sword and the slaughter was to be so great that the number of women should far exceed the number of men who should survive Now to be unmarried and childless is an occasion of the greatest reproach in the East from the Jewish standpoint this was not only a great sorrow but a great shame implying as was then thought some sin of which it was the chastisement And there was a yet deeper sentiment concerning childlessness which needs to be taken into account Immortality was in those older days thought of as a family rather than a personal privilege A man lived on lived again in his descendants LaRuge says In its most ancient parts the Old Testament knows no other genuine life than that on this earth and thus no other continuation of living after death than by means of children To be childless was then the same as being deprived of continuance after death It corresponded to the being damned of the New Testament In their distress and wretchedness the young women who had minced and flirted through Jerusalem with their gay clothing and fine trinkets contrary to their natural modesty would become suitors to the men and under the hardest conditions seek the name and credit of wedlock to be free from the reproach that would otherwise be their portion Kimchi the Jewish commentator says this happened in the days of Ahaz when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judaea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas (Jer_158) The idea that mans immortality is the continuance of the race has been revived and set attractively before the people in modern poetry and literature and though it is only a small piece of the truth concern-inn mans future a mere beginning in the revelation of mans immortality we need not hesitate to recognize it as a partial truth and to set before ourselves those views of the responsibility of our present lives which it suggests We know that life and immortality for the individual have been brought to light by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and in this failer and higher and more satisfying revelation we heartily rejoice but still we may learn something by occupying for a moment the older standpoint I THE IMMORTALITY OF A NATION IS ITS PERMANENCY AS A FREE PEOPLE This is illustrated by the anxiety of Eastern kings to secure heirs to their thrones and continuance to their dynasties Divine judgments cut off kingly races as that of Saul Omri etc Divine promises assured that Davids and

Solomons kingdoms should endure forever Nations as such have no immortality in a future state II THE IMMORTALITY OF A GENERATION IS ITS REPRODUCTION IN SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS One generation passeth and another cometh and in a very true sense the next generation is the old one restored under somewhat varying conditions The genius of a generation is immortal only in the generations that follow it III THE IMMORTALITY OF A MAN IS THE FAMILY HE STARTS This explains the ambition to found a family which is not merely mans monument but the man himself living again and living on through the ages He puts his personal impress upon his children and the childrens children keep alive the idiosyncrasy of the parent Illustrate from the Abrahamic race which is in a sense the immortality of Abraham IV THE PRACTICAL BEARING OF SUCH A VIEW OF IMMORTALITY It fills with seriousness the position of all parents What manner of persons ought they to be if they are thus to be perpetuated A nation must be righteous if it is to be worth continuing A generation must be physically and morally healthy if its impress on the coming generations is to be a blessing The father the mother must bear pure true worthy characters if their family is to be an honor He who seeks an immortality in his race is bound to see to it that he only perpetuates goodness integrity truth faith and all things that are noble From this lower position the preacher may easily advance to argue how much more solemn life has become for us now that nobler views of the future are revealed by him who came forth out of the eternal mysteries and has passed again within them that we might henceforth read our earth-lives in the light of that sublime personal immortality which he has disclosedmdashRT

9 CALVIN ldquo1In that day shall seven women take hold of one man He pursues the same subject and

unquestionably this discourse is immediately connected with what goes before This verse certainly ought not to have been separated from the preceding By this circumstance he describes more fully the nature of that desolation and calamity which he had formerly threatened against the Jews for hypocrites unless the threatening be conceived in strong terms either disregard or palliate warnings so that Godrsquo severity never produces its proper effect upon them From the effect therefore he describes the appalling nature of the approaching calamity that they may not indulge the hope of making an easy escape As if he had said ldquo not imagine that it will be of moderate extent lessening your numbers in a small degree for utter destruction awaits you so that hardly one man will be found for seven women rdquo The phrase take hold of conveys the same meaning It is no doubt inconsistent with the modesty of the sex that a woman should of her own accord offer herself to a man But the Prophet says that not only will they do this but that seven women will as it were lay hands on a man and keep hold of him so small will be the number of men The greatness of the calamity is likewise denoted by what immediately follows we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel for as it is a duty which belongs to a husband to support his wife and family the women ask a husband for themselves on unreasonable conditions when they release him from all concern about supplying them with food Very great must therefore be the scarcity of men when a great number of women laying aside modesty are not only constrained to solicit one man but do not even shrink from the agreement to procure their own victuals and request nothing more from a husband than to receive them within the bond of marriage Let thy name be called on us It may be rendered Let us be called by thy name for when a woman passes into the family of her husband she is called by his name and loses her own because the husband is her head (1Co_113) Hence the vail is a token of subjection and Abimelech said to Sarah Thy husband Abraham shall be a covering to thy head (Gen_2016) But if she remain unmarried she is concealed under the name of her family That this is the true meaning of that mode of expression is sufficiently evident from what Jacob says when blessing his grandchildren Let my name and the name of my fathers

Abraham and Isaac be called on them (Gen_4816) that is ldquo them be reckoned as our descendants and let them be partakers of the covenant and never excluded from it as were Esau and Ishmaelrdquo In the same manner also do heathen writers speak as in Lucan Marcia wishing to return to Cato says ldquo me only the bare name of marriage let permission be given that it may be inscribed on my tomb Marcia the wife of Catordquo (70) And take away our reproach Their reason for saying so is that women are sometimes treated with disdain when they do not obtain husbands not only because they appear to be despised as unworthy but because among the ancient people offspring was reckoned an important blessing and therefore the Prophet says that they will be desirous to wipe away this reproach and will employ every argument for that purpose Lastly he declares that the calamity will be so great that almost all the men will be carried off (70) Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia Luc Phars 2342

The Branch of the LORD 2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be

beautiful and glorious and the fruitof the land will be

the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel

1BARNES ldquoThe branch of the Lord - יהוה צמח yehova13h tsemach ldquoThe sproutrdquo of Yahweh

This expression and this verse have had a great variety of interpretations The Septuagint reads it lsquoIn that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth to exalt and to glorify the remnant of Israelrsquo The Chaldee renders it lsquoIn that day the Messiah of the Lord shall be for joy and glory and the doers of the law for praise and honor to those of Israel who are deliveredrsquo It is clear that the passage is designed to denote some signal blessing that was to succeed the calamity predicted in the previous verses The only question is to what has the prophet

reference The word lsquobranchrsquo (צמח tsemach) is derived from the verb (צמח tsa13mach) signifying ldquoto sprout to spring uprdquo spoken of plants Hence the word ldquobranchrdquo means properly that which ldquoshoots uprdquo or ldquosproutsrdquo from the root of a tree or from a decayed tree compare Job_147-9

The Messiah is thus said to be lsquoa root of Jessersquo Rom_1112 compare Isa_111 note Isa_1110 note and lsquothe root and offspring of Davidrsquo Rev_2216 as being a ldquodescendantrdquo of Jesse that is as if Jesse should fall like an aged tree yet the ldquorootrdquo would sprout up and live The word lsquobranchrsquo occurs several times in the Old Testament and in most if not all with express reference to the Messiah Jer_235 lsquoBehold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a

righteous Branch and a king shall reignrsquo Jer_3315 lsquoIn those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto Davidrsquo Zec_38 Zec_612 In all these places there can be no doubt that there is reference to him who was ldquoto spring uprdquo from David as a sprout does from a decayed and fallen tree and who is therefore called a ldquorootrdquo a ldquobranchrdquo of the royal stock There is besides a special beauty in the figure

The family of David when the Messiah was to come would be fallen into decay and almost extinct Joseph the husband of Mary though of the royal family of David Mat_120 Luk_24 was poor and the family had lost all claims to the throne In this state as from the decayed root of a fallen tree a ldquosproutrdquo or ldquobranchrdquo was to come forth with more than the magnificence of David and succeed him on the throne The name lsquobranchrsquo therefore came to be significant of the Messiah and to be synonymous with lsquothe son of Davidrsquo It is so used doubtless in this place as denoting that the coming of the Messiah would be a joy and honor in the days of calamity to the Jews Interpreters have not been agreed however in the meaning of this passage Grotius supposed that it referred to Ezra or Nehemiah but lsquomystically to Christ and Christiansrsquo Vogellius understood it of the ldquoremnantrdquo that should return from the Babylonian captivity Michaelis supposed that it refers to the Jews who should be a ldquoreformedrdquo people after their captivity and who should spring up with a new spirit Others have regarded it as a poetic description of the extraordinary fertility of the earth in future times The reasons for referring it to the Messiah are plain

(1) The word has this reference in other places and the representation of the Messiah under the image of a branch or shoot is as we have seen common in the Scriptures Thus also in

Isa_532 he is called also שרש shoresh root and יונק yo13neq a tender plant a sucker sprout shoot as of a decayed tree compare Job_816 Job_147 Job_1530 Eze_1722 And in

reference to the same idea perhaps it is said Isa_538 that he was נגזר nı+gezar ldquocut offrdquo as a branch sucker or shoot is cut off by the vine-dresser or farmer from the root of a decayed tree

And thus in Rev_55 he is called ίζα∆αβδ riza Dabid - the root of David

(2) This interpretation accords best with the ldquomagnificencerdquo of the description Isa_45-6 and

(3) It was so understood by the Chaldee interpreter and doubtless by the ancient Jews

Shall be beautiful and glorious - Hebrew lsquoShall be beauty and gloryrsquo that is shall be the chief ornament or honor of the land shall be that which gives to the nation its chief distinction and glory In such times of calamity his coming shal be an object of desire and his approach shall shed a rich splendor on that period of the world

And the fruit of the earth - פרי הארץ perı+y ha13a13rets correctly rendered ldquofruit of the earth or of the landrdquo The word lsquoearthrsquo is often in the Scriptures used to denote the land of Judea and perhaps the article here is intended to denote that that land is particularly intended This is the parallel expression to the former part of the verse in accordance with the laws of Hebrew poetry by which one member of a sentence expresses substantially the same meaning as the former see the Introduction Section 8 If the former expression referred to the ldquoMessiahrdquo this does also The lsquofruit of the earthrsquo is that which the earth produces and is here not different in signification from the ldquobranchrdquo which springs out of the ground Vitringa supposes that by this phrase the Messiah according to his human nature is meant So Hengstenberg (ldquoChristology in locrdquo) understands it and supposes that as the phrase ldquobranch of Yahwehrdquo refers to his divine origin as proceeding from Yahweh so this refers to his human origin as proceeding from the earth But the objections to this are obvious

(1) The second phrase according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism is most naturally an echo or repetition of the sentiment in the first member and means substantially the same thing

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

rags of righteousness and not his robe only they desire to be called by the name of Christians to take away the reproach of being reckoned Pagans or infidels

4 HENRY ldquoIt was threatened (Isa_325) that the mighty men should fall by the sword in war and it was threatened as a punishment to the women that affected gaiety and a loose sort of conversation Now here we have the effect and consequence of that great slaughter of men 1 That though Providence has so wisely ordered that communibus annis - on an average of years there is nearly an equal number of males and females born into the world yet through the devastations made by war there should scarcely be one man in seven left alive As there are deaths attending the bringing forth of children which are peculiar to the woman who was first in transgression so to balance that there are deaths peculiar to men those by the sword in the high places of the field which perhaps devour more than child-bed does Here it is foretold that such multitudes of men should be cut off that there should be seven women to one man 2 That by reason of the scarcity of men though marriage should be kept up for the raising of recruits and the preserving of the race of mankind upon earth yet the usual method of it should be quite altered - that whereas men ordinarily make their court to the women the women should now take hold of the men foolishly fearing (as Lots daughters did when they saw the ruin of Sodom and perhaps thought it reached further than it did) that in a little time there would be none left (Gen_1931) - that whereas women naturally hate to come in sharers with others seven should now by consent become the wives of one man - and that whereas by the law the husband was obliged to provide food and raiment for his wife (Exo_2110) which with many would be the most powerful argument against multiplying wives these women will be bound to support themselves they will eat bread of their own earning and wear apparel of their own working and the man they court shall be at no expense upon them only they desire to be called his wives to take away the reproach of a single life They are willing to be wives upon any terms though ever so unreasonable and perhaps the rather because in these troublesome times it would be a kindness to them to have a husband for their protector Paul on the contrary thinks the single state preferable in a time of distress 1Co_726 It were well if this were not introduced here partly as a reflection upon the daughters of Zion that notwithstanding the humbling providences they were under (Isa_318) they remained unhumbled and instead of repenting of their pride and vanity when God was contending with them for them all their care was to get husbands - that modesty which is the greatest beauty of the fair sex was forgotten and with them the reproach of vice was nothing to the reproach of virginity a sad symptom of the irrecoverable desolations of virtue

5 JAMISON ldquothat day mdash the calamitous period described in previous chapter

seven mdash indefinite number among the Jews So many men would be slain that there would be very many more women than men for example seven women contrary to their natural bashfulness would sue to (equivalent to ldquotake hold ofrdquo Isa_36) one man to marry them

eat own bread mdash foregoing the privileges which the law (Exo_2110) gives to wives when a man has more than one

reproach mdash of being unwedded and childless especially felt among the Jews who were looking for ldquothe seed of the womanrdquo Jesus Christ described in Isa_42 Isa_541 Isa_544 Luk_125

6 KampD ldquoWhen war shall thus unsparingly have swept away the men of Zion a most unnatural effect will ensue namely that women will go in search of husbands and not men in search of wives ldquoAnd seven women lay hold of one man in that day saying We will eat our won bread and wear our own clothes only let thy name be named upon us take away our reproachrdquo The division of the chapters is a wrong one here as this v is the closing v of the prophecy against the women and the closing portion of the whole address does not begin till Isa_42 The present pride of the daughters of Zion every one of whom now thought herself the greatest as the wife of such and such a man and for whom many men were now the suitors would end in this unnatural self-humiliation that seven of them would offer themselves to the same man the first man who presented himself and even renounce the ordinary legal claim upon their husband for clothing and food (Exo_2110) It would be quite sufficient for them to be allowed to bear his name (ldquolet thy name be named upon usrdquo the name is put upon the thing named as giving it its distinctness and character) if he would only take away their reproach (namely the reproach of being unmarried Isa_544 as in Gen_3023 of being childless) by letting them be called his wives The number seven (seven women to one man) may be explained on the ground that there is a bad seven as well as a holy one (eg Mat_1245)

In Isa_41 the threat denounced against the women of Jerusalem is brought to a close It is the side-piece to the threat denounced against the national rulers And these two scenes of judgment were only parts of the general judgment about to fall upon Jerusalem and Judah as a state or national community And this again was merely a portion viz the central group of the picture of a far more comprehensive judgment which was about to fall upon everything lofty and exalted on the earth Jerusalem therefore stands here as the centre and focus of the great judgment-day It was in Jerusalem that the ungodly glory which was ripe for judgment was concentrated and it was in Jerusalem also that the light of the true and final glory would concentrate itself To this promise with which the address returns to its starting-point the prophet now passes on without any further introduction In fact it needed no introduction for the judgment in itself was the medium of salvation When Jerusalem was judged it would be sifted and by being sifted it would be rescued pardoned glorified The prophet proceeds in this sense to speak of what would happen in that day and describes the one great day of God at the end of time (not a day of four-and-twenty hours any more than the seven days of creation were) according to its general character as opening with judgment but issuing in salvation

7 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6

belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

8 BI ldquoThe climax of Zionrsquos ruin

This verse should be part of the preceding chapter the very climax indeed of the ruin which Zion has brought upon herself (Read Isa_325-26) In this verse the course of nature is inverted This is the ruin which sin always works The picture is that of a country desolated by war and when the census comes to be taken it is found that there are seven women to one man The men are murdered the strong have been taken away the mighty men have gone down in the shock of war (J Parker D D)

Social anarchy

A companion picture to Isa_36mdashthe male population are in search of a ruler the women in search of a husband (R Weir)

8 PULPIT ldquoImmortality in a continued race

Take thou away our reproach This verse has been much misconceived Its figures are Eastern and their interpretation depends on our knowledge of the condition and sentiments of Eastern women It is simply a forcible description of the calamities brought upon a nation by continued war The men were to fall by the sword and the slaughter was to be so great that the number of women should far exceed the number of men who should survive Now to be unmarried and childless is an occasion of the greatest reproach in the East from the Jewish standpoint this was not only a great sorrow but a great shame implying as was then thought some sin of which it was the chastisement And there was a yet deeper sentiment concerning childlessness which needs to be taken into account Immortality was in those older days thought of as a family rather than a personal privilege A man lived on lived again in his descendants LaRuge says In its most ancient parts the Old Testament knows no other genuine life than that on this earth and thus no other continuation of living after death than by means of children To be childless was then the same as being deprived of continuance after death It corresponded to the being damned of the New Testament In their distress and wretchedness the young women who had minced and flirted through Jerusalem with their gay clothing and fine trinkets contrary to their natural modesty would become suitors to the men and under the hardest conditions seek the name and credit of wedlock to be free from the reproach that would otherwise be their portion Kimchi the Jewish commentator says this happened in the days of Ahaz when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judaea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas (Jer_158) The idea that mans immortality is the continuance of the race has been revived and set attractively before the people in modern poetry and literature and though it is only a small piece of the truth concern-inn mans future a mere beginning in the revelation of mans immortality we need not hesitate to recognize it as a partial truth and to set before ourselves those views of the responsibility of our present lives which it suggests We know that life and immortality for the individual have been brought to light by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and in this failer and higher and more satisfying revelation we heartily rejoice but still we may learn something by occupying for a moment the older standpoint I THE IMMORTALITY OF A NATION IS ITS PERMANENCY AS A FREE PEOPLE This is illustrated by the anxiety of Eastern kings to secure heirs to their thrones and continuance to their dynasties Divine judgments cut off kingly races as that of Saul Omri etc Divine promises assured that Davids and

Solomons kingdoms should endure forever Nations as such have no immortality in a future state II THE IMMORTALITY OF A GENERATION IS ITS REPRODUCTION IN SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS One generation passeth and another cometh and in a very true sense the next generation is the old one restored under somewhat varying conditions The genius of a generation is immortal only in the generations that follow it III THE IMMORTALITY OF A MAN IS THE FAMILY HE STARTS This explains the ambition to found a family which is not merely mans monument but the man himself living again and living on through the ages He puts his personal impress upon his children and the childrens children keep alive the idiosyncrasy of the parent Illustrate from the Abrahamic race which is in a sense the immortality of Abraham IV THE PRACTICAL BEARING OF SUCH A VIEW OF IMMORTALITY It fills with seriousness the position of all parents What manner of persons ought they to be if they are thus to be perpetuated A nation must be righteous if it is to be worth continuing A generation must be physically and morally healthy if its impress on the coming generations is to be a blessing The father the mother must bear pure true worthy characters if their family is to be an honor He who seeks an immortality in his race is bound to see to it that he only perpetuates goodness integrity truth faith and all things that are noble From this lower position the preacher may easily advance to argue how much more solemn life has become for us now that nobler views of the future are revealed by him who came forth out of the eternal mysteries and has passed again within them that we might henceforth read our earth-lives in the light of that sublime personal immortality which he has disclosedmdashRT

9 CALVIN ldquo1In that day shall seven women take hold of one man He pursues the same subject and

unquestionably this discourse is immediately connected with what goes before This verse certainly ought not to have been separated from the preceding By this circumstance he describes more fully the nature of that desolation and calamity which he had formerly threatened against the Jews for hypocrites unless the threatening be conceived in strong terms either disregard or palliate warnings so that Godrsquo severity never produces its proper effect upon them From the effect therefore he describes the appalling nature of the approaching calamity that they may not indulge the hope of making an easy escape As if he had said ldquo not imagine that it will be of moderate extent lessening your numbers in a small degree for utter destruction awaits you so that hardly one man will be found for seven women rdquo The phrase take hold of conveys the same meaning It is no doubt inconsistent with the modesty of the sex that a woman should of her own accord offer herself to a man But the Prophet says that not only will they do this but that seven women will as it were lay hands on a man and keep hold of him so small will be the number of men The greatness of the calamity is likewise denoted by what immediately follows we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel for as it is a duty which belongs to a husband to support his wife and family the women ask a husband for themselves on unreasonable conditions when they release him from all concern about supplying them with food Very great must therefore be the scarcity of men when a great number of women laying aside modesty are not only constrained to solicit one man but do not even shrink from the agreement to procure their own victuals and request nothing more from a husband than to receive them within the bond of marriage Let thy name be called on us It may be rendered Let us be called by thy name for when a woman passes into the family of her husband she is called by his name and loses her own because the husband is her head (1Co_113) Hence the vail is a token of subjection and Abimelech said to Sarah Thy husband Abraham shall be a covering to thy head (Gen_2016) But if she remain unmarried she is concealed under the name of her family That this is the true meaning of that mode of expression is sufficiently evident from what Jacob says when blessing his grandchildren Let my name and the name of my fathers

Abraham and Isaac be called on them (Gen_4816) that is ldquo them be reckoned as our descendants and let them be partakers of the covenant and never excluded from it as were Esau and Ishmaelrdquo In the same manner also do heathen writers speak as in Lucan Marcia wishing to return to Cato says ldquo me only the bare name of marriage let permission be given that it may be inscribed on my tomb Marcia the wife of Catordquo (70) And take away our reproach Their reason for saying so is that women are sometimes treated with disdain when they do not obtain husbands not only because they appear to be despised as unworthy but because among the ancient people offspring was reckoned an important blessing and therefore the Prophet says that they will be desirous to wipe away this reproach and will employ every argument for that purpose Lastly he declares that the calamity will be so great that almost all the men will be carried off (70) Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia Luc Phars 2342

The Branch of the LORD 2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be

beautiful and glorious and the fruitof the land will be

the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel

1BARNES ldquoThe branch of the Lord - יהוה צמח yehova13h tsemach ldquoThe sproutrdquo of Yahweh

This expression and this verse have had a great variety of interpretations The Septuagint reads it lsquoIn that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth to exalt and to glorify the remnant of Israelrsquo The Chaldee renders it lsquoIn that day the Messiah of the Lord shall be for joy and glory and the doers of the law for praise and honor to those of Israel who are deliveredrsquo It is clear that the passage is designed to denote some signal blessing that was to succeed the calamity predicted in the previous verses The only question is to what has the prophet

reference The word lsquobranchrsquo (צמח tsemach) is derived from the verb (צמח tsa13mach) signifying ldquoto sprout to spring uprdquo spoken of plants Hence the word ldquobranchrdquo means properly that which ldquoshoots uprdquo or ldquosproutsrdquo from the root of a tree or from a decayed tree compare Job_147-9

The Messiah is thus said to be lsquoa root of Jessersquo Rom_1112 compare Isa_111 note Isa_1110 note and lsquothe root and offspring of Davidrsquo Rev_2216 as being a ldquodescendantrdquo of Jesse that is as if Jesse should fall like an aged tree yet the ldquorootrdquo would sprout up and live The word lsquobranchrsquo occurs several times in the Old Testament and in most if not all with express reference to the Messiah Jer_235 lsquoBehold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a

righteous Branch and a king shall reignrsquo Jer_3315 lsquoIn those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto Davidrsquo Zec_38 Zec_612 In all these places there can be no doubt that there is reference to him who was ldquoto spring uprdquo from David as a sprout does from a decayed and fallen tree and who is therefore called a ldquorootrdquo a ldquobranchrdquo of the royal stock There is besides a special beauty in the figure

The family of David when the Messiah was to come would be fallen into decay and almost extinct Joseph the husband of Mary though of the royal family of David Mat_120 Luk_24 was poor and the family had lost all claims to the throne In this state as from the decayed root of a fallen tree a ldquosproutrdquo or ldquobranchrdquo was to come forth with more than the magnificence of David and succeed him on the throne The name lsquobranchrsquo therefore came to be significant of the Messiah and to be synonymous with lsquothe son of Davidrsquo It is so used doubtless in this place as denoting that the coming of the Messiah would be a joy and honor in the days of calamity to the Jews Interpreters have not been agreed however in the meaning of this passage Grotius supposed that it referred to Ezra or Nehemiah but lsquomystically to Christ and Christiansrsquo Vogellius understood it of the ldquoremnantrdquo that should return from the Babylonian captivity Michaelis supposed that it refers to the Jews who should be a ldquoreformedrdquo people after their captivity and who should spring up with a new spirit Others have regarded it as a poetic description of the extraordinary fertility of the earth in future times The reasons for referring it to the Messiah are plain

(1) The word has this reference in other places and the representation of the Messiah under the image of a branch or shoot is as we have seen common in the Scriptures Thus also in

Isa_532 he is called also שרש shoresh root and יונק yo13neq a tender plant a sucker sprout shoot as of a decayed tree compare Job_816 Job_147 Job_1530 Eze_1722 And in

reference to the same idea perhaps it is said Isa_538 that he was נגזר nı+gezar ldquocut offrdquo as a branch sucker or shoot is cut off by the vine-dresser or farmer from the root of a decayed tree

And thus in Rev_55 he is called ίζα∆αβδ riza Dabid - the root of David

(2) This interpretation accords best with the ldquomagnificencerdquo of the description Isa_45-6 and

(3) It was so understood by the Chaldee interpreter and doubtless by the ancient Jews

Shall be beautiful and glorious - Hebrew lsquoShall be beauty and gloryrsquo that is shall be the chief ornament or honor of the land shall be that which gives to the nation its chief distinction and glory In such times of calamity his coming shal be an object of desire and his approach shall shed a rich splendor on that period of the world

And the fruit of the earth - פרי הארץ perı+y ha13a13rets correctly rendered ldquofruit of the earth or of the landrdquo The word lsquoearthrsquo is often in the Scriptures used to denote the land of Judea and perhaps the article here is intended to denote that that land is particularly intended This is the parallel expression to the former part of the verse in accordance with the laws of Hebrew poetry by which one member of a sentence expresses substantially the same meaning as the former see the Introduction Section 8 If the former expression referred to the ldquoMessiahrdquo this does also The lsquofruit of the earthrsquo is that which the earth produces and is here not different in signification from the ldquobranchrdquo which springs out of the ground Vitringa supposes that by this phrase the Messiah according to his human nature is meant So Hengstenberg (ldquoChristology in locrdquo) understands it and supposes that as the phrase ldquobranch of Yahwehrdquo refers to his divine origin as proceeding from Yahweh so this refers to his human origin as proceeding from the earth But the objections to this are obvious

(1) The second phrase according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism is most naturally an echo or repetition of the sentiment in the first member and means substantially the same thing

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

6 KampD ldquoWhen war shall thus unsparingly have swept away the men of Zion a most unnatural effect will ensue namely that women will go in search of husbands and not men in search of wives ldquoAnd seven women lay hold of one man in that day saying We will eat our won bread and wear our own clothes only let thy name be named upon us take away our reproachrdquo The division of the chapters is a wrong one here as this v is the closing v of the prophecy against the women and the closing portion of the whole address does not begin till Isa_42 The present pride of the daughters of Zion every one of whom now thought herself the greatest as the wife of such and such a man and for whom many men were now the suitors would end in this unnatural self-humiliation that seven of them would offer themselves to the same man the first man who presented himself and even renounce the ordinary legal claim upon their husband for clothing and food (Exo_2110) It would be quite sufficient for them to be allowed to bear his name (ldquolet thy name be named upon usrdquo the name is put upon the thing named as giving it its distinctness and character) if he would only take away their reproach (namely the reproach of being unmarried Isa_544 as in Gen_3023 of being childless) by letting them be called his wives The number seven (seven women to one man) may be explained on the ground that there is a bad seven as well as a holy one (eg Mat_1245)

In Isa_41 the threat denounced against the women of Jerusalem is brought to a close It is the side-piece to the threat denounced against the national rulers And these two scenes of judgment were only parts of the general judgment about to fall upon Jerusalem and Judah as a state or national community And this again was merely a portion viz the central group of the picture of a far more comprehensive judgment which was about to fall upon everything lofty and exalted on the earth Jerusalem therefore stands here as the centre and focus of the great judgment-day It was in Jerusalem that the ungodly glory which was ripe for judgment was concentrated and it was in Jerusalem also that the light of the true and final glory would concentrate itself To this promise with which the address returns to its starting-point the prophet now passes on without any further introduction In fact it needed no introduction for the judgment in itself was the medium of salvation When Jerusalem was judged it would be sifted and by being sifted it would be rescued pardoned glorified The prophet proceeds in this sense to speak of what would happen in that day and describes the one great day of God at the end of time (not a day of four-and-twenty hours any more than the seven days of creation were) according to its general character as opening with judgment but issuing in salvation

7 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6

belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

8 BI ldquoThe climax of Zionrsquos ruin

This verse should be part of the preceding chapter the very climax indeed of the ruin which Zion has brought upon herself (Read Isa_325-26) In this verse the course of nature is inverted This is the ruin which sin always works The picture is that of a country desolated by war and when the census comes to be taken it is found that there are seven women to one man The men are murdered the strong have been taken away the mighty men have gone down in the shock of war (J Parker D D)

Social anarchy

A companion picture to Isa_36mdashthe male population are in search of a ruler the women in search of a husband (R Weir)

8 PULPIT ldquoImmortality in a continued race

Take thou away our reproach This verse has been much misconceived Its figures are Eastern and their interpretation depends on our knowledge of the condition and sentiments of Eastern women It is simply a forcible description of the calamities brought upon a nation by continued war The men were to fall by the sword and the slaughter was to be so great that the number of women should far exceed the number of men who should survive Now to be unmarried and childless is an occasion of the greatest reproach in the East from the Jewish standpoint this was not only a great sorrow but a great shame implying as was then thought some sin of which it was the chastisement And there was a yet deeper sentiment concerning childlessness which needs to be taken into account Immortality was in those older days thought of as a family rather than a personal privilege A man lived on lived again in his descendants LaRuge says In its most ancient parts the Old Testament knows no other genuine life than that on this earth and thus no other continuation of living after death than by means of children To be childless was then the same as being deprived of continuance after death It corresponded to the being damned of the New Testament In their distress and wretchedness the young women who had minced and flirted through Jerusalem with their gay clothing and fine trinkets contrary to their natural modesty would become suitors to the men and under the hardest conditions seek the name and credit of wedlock to be free from the reproach that would otherwise be their portion Kimchi the Jewish commentator says this happened in the days of Ahaz when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judaea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas (Jer_158) The idea that mans immortality is the continuance of the race has been revived and set attractively before the people in modern poetry and literature and though it is only a small piece of the truth concern-inn mans future a mere beginning in the revelation of mans immortality we need not hesitate to recognize it as a partial truth and to set before ourselves those views of the responsibility of our present lives which it suggests We know that life and immortality for the individual have been brought to light by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and in this failer and higher and more satisfying revelation we heartily rejoice but still we may learn something by occupying for a moment the older standpoint I THE IMMORTALITY OF A NATION IS ITS PERMANENCY AS A FREE PEOPLE This is illustrated by the anxiety of Eastern kings to secure heirs to their thrones and continuance to their dynasties Divine judgments cut off kingly races as that of Saul Omri etc Divine promises assured that Davids and

Solomons kingdoms should endure forever Nations as such have no immortality in a future state II THE IMMORTALITY OF A GENERATION IS ITS REPRODUCTION IN SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS One generation passeth and another cometh and in a very true sense the next generation is the old one restored under somewhat varying conditions The genius of a generation is immortal only in the generations that follow it III THE IMMORTALITY OF A MAN IS THE FAMILY HE STARTS This explains the ambition to found a family which is not merely mans monument but the man himself living again and living on through the ages He puts his personal impress upon his children and the childrens children keep alive the idiosyncrasy of the parent Illustrate from the Abrahamic race which is in a sense the immortality of Abraham IV THE PRACTICAL BEARING OF SUCH A VIEW OF IMMORTALITY It fills with seriousness the position of all parents What manner of persons ought they to be if they are thus to be perpetuated A nation must be righteous if it is to be worth continuing A generation must be physically and morally healthy if its impress on the coming generations is to be a blessing The father the mother must bear pure true worthy characters if their family is to be an honor He who seeks an immortality in his race is bound to see to it that he only perpetuates goodness integrity truth faith and all things that are noble From this lower position the preacher may easily advance to argue how much more solemn life has become for us now that nobler views of the future are revealed by him who came forth out of the eternal mysteries and has passed again within them that we might henceforth read our earth-lives in the light of that sublime personal immortality which he has disclosedmdashRT

9 CALVIN ldquo1In that day shall seven women take hold of one man He pursues the same subject and

unquestionably this discourse is immediately connected with what goes before This verse certainly ought not to have been separated from the preceding By this circumstance he describes more fully the nature of that desolation and calamity which he had formerly threatened against the Jews for hypocrites unless the threatening be conceived in strong terms either disregard or palliate warnings so that Godrsquo severity never produces its proper effect upon them From the effect therefore he describes the appalling nature of the approaching calamity that they may not indulge the hope of making an easy escape As if he had said ldquo not imagine that it will be of moderate extent lessening your numbers in a small degree for utter destruction awaits you so that hardly one man will be found for seven women rdquo The phrase take hold of conveys the same meaning It is no doubt inconsistent with the modesty of the sex that a woman should of her own accord offer herself to a man But the Prophet says that not only will they do this but that seven women will as it were lay hands on a man and keep hold of him so small will be the number of men The greatness of the calamity is likewise denoted by what immediately follows we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel for as it is a duty which belongs to a husband to support his wife and family the women ask a husband for themselves on unreasonable conditions when they release him from all concern about supplying them with food Very great must therefore be the scarcity of men when a great number of women laying aside modesty are not only constrained to solicit one man but do not even shrink from the agreement to procure their own victuals and request nothing more from a husband than to receive them within the bond of marriage Let thy name be called on us It may be rendered Let us be called by thy name for when a woman passes into the family of her husband she is called by his name and loses her own because the husband is her head (1Co_113) Hence the vail is a token of subjection and Abimelech said to Sarah Thy husband Abraham shall be a covering to thy head (Gen_2016) But if she remain unmarried she is concealed under the name of her family That this is the true meaning of that mode of expression is sufficiently evident from what Jacob says when blessing his grandchildren Let my name and the name of my fathers

Abraham and Isaac be called on them (Gen_4816) that is ldquo them be reckoned as our descendants and let them be partakers of the covenant and never excluded from it as were Esau and Ishmaelrdquo In the same manner also do heathen writers speak as in Lucan Marcia wishing to return to Cato says ldquo me only the bare name of marriage let permission be given that it may be inscribed on my tomb Marcia the wife of Catordquo (70) And take away our reproach Their reason for saying so is that women are sometimes treated with disdain when they do not obtain husbands not only because they appear to be despised as unworthy but because among the ancient people offspring was reckoned an important blessing and therefore the Prophet says that they will be desirous to wipe away this reproach and will employ every argument for that purpose Lastly he declares that the calamity will be so great that almost all the men will be carried off (70) Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia Luc Phars 2342

The Branch of the LORD 2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be

beautiful and glorious and the fruitof the land will be

the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel

1BARNES ldquoThe branch of the Lord - יהוה צמח yehova13h tsemach ldquoThe sproutrdquo of Yahweh

This expression and this verse have had a great variety of interpretations The Septuagint reads it lsquoIn that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth to exalt and to glorify the remnant of Israelrsquo The Chaldee renders it lsquoIn that day the Messiah of the Lord shall be for joy and glory and the doers of the law for praise and honor to those of Israel who are deliveredrsquo It is clear that the passage is designed to denote some signal blessing that was to succeed the calamity predicted in the previous verses The only question is to what has the prophet

reference The word lsquobranchrsquo (צמח tsemach) is derived from the verb (צמח tsa13mach) signifying ldquoto sprout to spring uprdquo spoken of plants Hence the word ldquobranchrdquo means properly that which ldquoshoots uprdquo or ldquosproutsrdquo from the root of a tree or from a decayed tree compare Job_147-9

The Messiah is thus said to be lsquoa root of Jessersquo Rom_1112 compare Isa_111 note Isa_1110 note and lsquothe root and offspring of Davidrsquo Rev_2216 as being a ldquodescendantrdquo of Jesse that is as if Jesse should fall like an aged tree yet the ldquorootrdquo would sprout up and live The word lsquobranchrsquo occurs several times in the Old Testament and in most if not all with express reference to the Messiah Jer_235 lsquoBehold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a

righteous Branch and a king shall reignrsquo Jer_3315 lsquoIn those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto Davidrsquo Zec_38 Zec_612 In all these places there can be no doubt that there is reference to him who was ldquoto spring uprdquo from David as a sprout does from a decayed and fallen tree and who is therefore called a ldquorootrdquo a ldquobranchrdquo of the royal stock There is besides a special beauty in the figure

The family of David when the Messiah was to come would be fallen into decay and almost extinct Joseph the husband of Mary though of the royal family of David Mat_120 Luk_24 was poor and the family had lost all claims to the throne In this state as from the decayed root of a fallen tree a ldquosproutrdquo or ldquobranchrdquo was to come forth with more than the magnificence of David and succeed him on the throne The name lsquobranchrsquo therefore came to be significant of the Messiah and to be synonymous with lsquothe son of Davidrsquo It is so used doubtless in this place as denoting that the coming of the Messiah would be a joy and honor in the days of calamity to the Jews Interpreters have not been agreed however in the meaning of this passage Grotius supposed that it referred to Ezra or Nehemiah but lsquomystically to Christ and Christiansrsquo Vogellius understood it of the ldquoremnantrdquo that should return from the Babylonian captivity Michaelis supposed that it refers to the Jews who should be a ldquoreformedrdquo people after their captivity and who should spring up with a new spirit Others have regarded it as a poetic description of the extraordinary fertility of the earth in future times The reasons for referring it to the Messiah are plain

(1) The word has this reference in other places and the representation of the Messiah under the image of a branch or shoot is as we have seen common in the Scriptures Thus also in

Isa_532 he is called also שרש shoresh root and יונק yo13neq a tender plant a sucker sprout shoot as of a decayed tree compare Job_816 Job_147 Job_1530 Eze_1722 And in

reference to the same idea perhaps it is said Isa_538 that he was נגזר nı+gezar ldquocut offrdquo as a branch sucker or shoot is cut off by the vine-dresser or farmer from the root of a decayed tree

And thus in Rev_55 he is called ίζα∆αβδ riza Dabid - the root of David

(2) This interpretation accords best with the ldquomagnificencerdquo of the description Isa_45-6 and

(3) It was so understood by the Chaldee interpreter and doubtless by the ancient Jews

Shall be beautiful and glorious - Hebrew lsquoShall be beauty and gloryrsquo that is shall be the chief ornament or honor of the land shall be that which gives to the nation its chief distinction and glory In such times of calamity his coming shal be an object of desire and his approach shall shed a rich splendor on that period of the world

And the fruit of the earth - פרי הארץ perı+y ha13a13rets correctly rendered ldquofruit of the earth or of the landrdquo The word lsquoearthrsquo is often in the Scriptures used to denote the land of Judea and perhaps the article here is intended to denote that that land is particularly intended This is the parallel expression to the former part of the verse in accordance with the laws of Hebrew poetry by which one member of a sentence expresses substantially the same meaning as the former see the Introduction Section 8 If the former expression referred to the ldquoMessiahrdquo this does also The lsquofruit of the earthrsquo is that which the earth produces and is here not different in signification from the ldquobranchrdquo which springs out of the ground Vitringa supposes that by this phrase the Messiah according to his human nature is meant So Hengstenberg (ldquoChristology in locrdquo) understands it and supposes that as the phrase ldquobranch of Yahwehrdquo refers to his divine origin as proceeding from Yahweh so this refers to his human origin as proceeding from the earth But the objections to this are obvious

(1) The second phrase according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism is most naturally an echo or repetition of the sentiment in the first member and means substantially the same thing

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

8 BI ldquoThe climax of Zionrsquos ruin

This verse should be part of the preceding chapter the very climax indeed of the ruin which Zion has brought upon herself (Read Isa_325-26) In this verse the course of nature is inverted This is the ruin which sin always works The picture is that of a country desolated by war and when the census comes to be taken it is found that there are seven women to one man The men are murdered the strong have been taken away the mighty men have gone down in the shock of war (J Parker D D)

Social anarchy

A companion picture to Isa_36mdashthe male population are in search of a ruler the women in search of a husband (R Weir)

8 PULPIT ldquoImmortality in a continued race

Take thou away our reproach This verse has been much misconceived Its figures are Eastern and their interpretation depends on our knowledge of the condition and sentiments of Eastern women It is simply a forcible description of the calamities brought upon a nation by continued war The men were to fall by the sword and the slaughter was to be so great that the number of women should far exceed the number of men who should survive Now to be unmarried and childless is an occasion of the greatest reproach in the East from the Jewish standpoint this was not only a great sorrow but a great shame implying as was then thought some sin of which it was the chastisement And there was a yet deeper sentiment concerning childlessness which needs to be taken into account Immortality was in those older days thought of as a family rather than a personal privilege A man lived on lived again in his descendants LaRuge says In its most ancient parts the Old Testament knows no other genuine life than that on this earth and thus no other continuation of living after death than by means of children To be childless was then the same as being deprived of continuance after death It corresponded to the being damned of the New Testament In their distress and wretchedness the young women who had minced and flirted through Jerusalem with their gay clothing and fine trinkets contrary to their natural modesty would become suitors to the men and under the hardest conditions seek the name and credit of wedlock to be free from the reproach that would otherwise be their portion Kimchi the Jewish commentator says this happened in the days of Ahaz when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judaea one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day The widows which were left were so numerous that the prophet said Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas (Jer_158) The idea that mans immortality is the continuance of the race has been revived and set attractively before the people in modern poetry and literature and though it is only a small piece of the truth concern-inn mans future a mere beginning in the revelation of mans immortality we need not hesitate to recognize it as a partial truth and to set before ourselves those views of the responsibility of our present lives which it suggests We know that life and immortality for the individual have been brought to light by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and in this failer and higher and more satisfying revelation we heartily rejoice but still we may learn something by occupying for a moment the older standpoint I THE IMMORTALITY OF A NATION IS ITS PERMANENCY AS A FREE PEOPLE This is illustrated by the anxiety of Eastern kings to secure heirs to their thrones and continuance to their dynasties Divine judgments cut off kingly races as that of Saul Omri etc Divine promises assured that Davids and

Solomons kingdoms should endure forever Nations as such have no immortality in a future state II THE IMMORTALITY OF A GENERATION IS ITS REPRODUCTION IN SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS One generation passeth and another cometh and in a very true sense the next generation is the old one restored under somewhat varying conditions The genius of a generation is immortal only in the generations that follow it III THE IMMORTALITY OF A MAN IS THE FAMILY HE STARTS This explains the ambition to found a family which is not merely mans monument but the man himself living again and living on through the ages He puts his personal impress upon his children and the childrens children keep alive the idiosyncrasy of the parent Illustrate from the Abrahamic race which is in a sense the immortality of Abraham IV THE PRACTICAL BEARING OF SUCH A VIEW OF IMMORTALITY It fills with seriousness the position of all parents What manner of persons ought they to be if they are thus to be perpetuated A nation must be righteous if it is to be worth continuing A generation must be physically and morally healthy if its impress on the coming generations is to be a blessing The father the mother must bear pure true worthy characters if their family is to be an honor He who seeks an immortality in his race is bound to see to it that he only perpetuates goodness integrity truth faith and all things that are noble From this lower position the preacher may easily advance to argue how much more solemn life has become for us now that nobler views of the future are revealed by him who came forth out of the eternal mysteries and has passed again within them that we might henceforth read our earth-lives in the light of that sublime personal immortality which he has disclosedmdashRT

9 CALVIN ldquo1In that day shall seven women take hold of one man He pursues the same subject and

unquestionably this discourse is immediately connected with what goes before This verse certainly ought not to have been separated from the preceding By this circumstance he describes more fully the nature of that desolation and calamity which he had formerly threatened against the Jews for hypocrites unless the threatening be conceived in strong terms either disregard or palliate warnings so that Godrsquo severity never produces its proper effect upon them From the effect therefore he describes the appalling nature of the approaching calamity that they may not indulge the hope of making an easy escape As if he had said ldquo not imagine that it will be of moderate extent lessening your numbers in a small degree for utter destruction awaits you so that hardly one man will be found for seven women rdquo The phrase take hold of conveys the same meaning It is no doubt inconsistent with the modesty of the sex that a woman should of her own accord offer herself to a man But the Prophet says that not only will they do this but that seven women will as it were lay hands on a man and keep hold of him so small will be the number of men The greatness of the calamity is likewise denoted by what immediately follows we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel for as it is a duty which belongs to a husband to support his wife and family the women ask a husband for themselves on unreasonable conditions when they release him from all concern about supplying them with food Very great must therefore be the scarcity of men when a great number of women laying aside modesty are not only constrained to solicit one man but do not even shrink from the agreement to procure their own victuals and request nothing more from a husband than to receive them within the bond of marriage Let thy name be called on us It may be rendered Let us be called by thy name for when a woman passes into the family of her husband she is called by his name and loses her own because the husband is her head (1Co_113) Hence the vail is a token of subjection and Abimelech said to Sarah Thy husband Abraham shall be a covering to thy head (Gen_2016) But if she remain unmarried she is concealed under the name of her family That this is the true meaning of that mode of expression is sufficiently evident from what Jacob says when blessing his grandchildren Let my name and the name of my fathers

Abraham and Isaac be called on them (Gen_4816) that is ldquo them be reckoned as our descendants and let them be partakers of the covenant and never excluded from it as were Esau and Ishmaelrdquo In the same manner also do heathen writers speak as in Lucan Marcia wishing to return to Cato says ldquo me only the bare name of marriage let permission be given that it may be inscribed on my tomb Marcia the wife of Catordquo (70) And take away our reproach Their reason for saying so is that women are sometimes treated with disdain when they do not obtain husbands not only because they appear to be despised as unworthy but because among the ancient people offspring was reckoned an important blessing and therefore the Prophet says that they will be desirous to wipe away this reproach and will employ every argument for that purpose Lastly he declares that the calamity will be so great that almost all the men will be carried off (70) Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia Luc Phars 2342

The Branch of the LORD 2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be

beautiful and glorious and the fruitof the land will be

the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel

1BARNES ldquoThe branch of the Lord - יהוה צמח yehova13h tsemach ldquoThe sproutrdquo of Yahweh

This expression and this verse have had a great variety of interpretations The Septuagint reads it lsquoIn that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth to exalt and to glorify the remnant of Israelrsquo The Chaldee renders it lsquoIn that day the Messiah of the Lord shall be for joy and glory and the doers of the law for praise and honor to those of Israel who are deliveredrsquo It is clear that the passage is designed to denote some signal blessing that was to succeed the calamity predicted in the previous verses The only question is to what has the prophet

reference The word lsquobranchrsquo (צמח tsemach) is derived from the verb (צמח tsa13mach) signifying ldquoto sprout to spring uprdquo spoken of plants Hence the word ldquobranchrdquo means properly that which ldquoshoots uprdquo or ldquosproutsrdquo from the root of a tree or from a decayed tree compare Job_147-9

The Messiah is thus said to be lsquoa root of Jessersquo Rom_1112 compare Isa_111 note Isa_1110 note and lsquothe root and offspring of Davidrsquo Rev_2216 as being a ldquodescendantrdquo of Jesse that is as if Jesse should fall like an aged tree yet the ldquorootrdquo would sprout up and live The word lsquobranchrsquo occurs several times in the Old Testament and in most if not all with express reference to the Messiah Jer_235 lsquoBehold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a

righteous Branch and a king shall reignrsquo Jer_3315 lsquoIn those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto Davidrsquo Zec_38 Zec_612 In all these places there can be no doubt that there is reference to him who was ldquoto spring uprdquo from David as a sprout does from a decayed and fallen tree and who is therefore called a ldquorootrdquo a ldquobranchrdquo of the royal stock There is besides a special beauty in the figure

The family of David when the Messiah was to come would be fallen into decay and almost extinct Joseph the husband of Mary though of the royal family of David Mat_120 Luk_24 was poor and the family had lost all claims to the throne In this state as from the decayed root of a fallen tree a ldquosproutrdquo or ldquobranchrdquo was to come forth with more than the magnificence of David and succeed him on the throne The name lsquobranchrsquo therefore came to be significant of the Messiah and to be synonymous with lsquothe son of Davidrsquo It is so used doubtless in this place as denoting that the coming of the Messiah would be a joy and honor in the days of calamity to the Jews Interpreters have not been agreed however in the meaning of this passage Grotius supposed that it referred to Ezra or Nehemiah but lsquomystically to Christ and Christiansrsquo Vogellius understood it of the ldquoremnantrdquo that should return from the Babylonian captivity Michaelis supposed that it refers to the Jews who should be a ldquoreformedrdquo people after their captivity and who should spring up with a new spirit Others have regarded it as a poetic description of the extraordinary fertility of the earth in future times The reasons for referring it to the Messiah are plain

(1) The word has this reference in other places and the representation of the Messiah under the image of a branch or shoot is as we have seen common in the Scriptures Thus also in

Isa_532 he is called also שרש shoresh root and יונק yo13neq a tender plant a sucker sprout shoot as of a decayed tree compare Job_816 Job_147 Job_1530 Eze_1722 And in

reference to the same idea perhaps it is said Isa_538 that he was נגזר nı+gezar ldquocut offrdquo as a branch sucker or shoot is cut off by the vine-dresser or farmer from the root of a decayed tree

And thus in Rev_55 he is called ίζα∆αβδ riza Dabid - the root of David

(2) This interpretation accords best with the ldquomagnificencerdquo of the description Isa_45-6 and

(3) It was so understood by the Chaldee interpreter and doubtless by the ancient Jews

Shall be beautiful and glorious - Hebrew lsquoShall be beauty and gloryrsquo that is shall be the chief ornament or honor of the land shall be that which gives to the nation its chief distinction and glory In such times of calamity his coming shal be an object of desire and his approach shall shed a rich splendor on that period of the world

And the fruit of the earth - פרי הארץ perı+y ha13a13rets correctly rendered ldquofruit of the earth or of the landrdquo The word lsquoearthrsquo is often in the Scriptures used to denote the land of Judea and perhaps the article here is intended to denote that that land is particularly intended This is the parallel expression to the former part of the verse in accordance with the laws of Hebrew poetry by which one member of a sentence expresses substantially the same meaning as the former see the Introduction Section 8 If the former expression referred to the ldquoMessiahrdquo this does also The lsquofruit of the earthrsquo is that which the earth produces and is here not different in signification from the ldquobranchrdquo which springs out of the ground Vitringa supposes that by this phrase the Messiah according to his human nature is meant So Hengstenberg (ldquoChristology in locrdquo) understands it and supposes that as the phrase ldquobranch of Yahwehrdquo refers to his divine origin as proceeding from Yahweh so this refers to his human origin as proceeding from the earth But the objections to this are obvious

(1) The second phrase according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism is most naturally an echo or repetition of the sentiment in the first member and means substantially the same thing

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

Solomons kingdoms should endure forever Nations as such have no immortality in a future state II THE IMMORTALITY OF A GENERATION IS ITS REPRODUCTION IN SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS One generation passeth and another cometh and in a very true sense the next generation is the old one restored under somewhat varying conditions The genius of a generation is immortal only in the generations that follow it III THE IMMORTALITY OF A MAN IS THE FAMILY HE STARTS This explains the ambition to found a family which is not merely mans monument but the man himself living again and living on through the ages He puts his personal impress upon his children and the childrens children keep alive the idiosyncrasy of the parent Illustrate from the Abrahamic race which is in a sense the immortality of Abraham IV THE PRACTICAL BEARING OF SUCH A VIEW OF IMMORTALITY It fills with seriousness the position of all parents What manner of persons ought they to be if they are thus to be perpetuated A nation must be righteous if it is to be worth continuing A generation must be physically and morally healthy if its impress on the coming generations is to be a blessing The father the mother must bear pure true worthy characters if their family is to be an honor He who seeks an immortality in his race is bound to see to it that he only perpetuates goodness integrity truth faith and all things that are noble From this lower position the preacher may easily advance to argue how much more solemn life has become for us now that nobler views of the future are revealed by him who came forth out of the eternal mysteries and has passed again within them that we might henceforth read our earth-lives in the light of that sublime personal immortality which he has disclosedmdashRT

9 CALVIN ldquo1In that day shall seven women take hold of one man He pursues the same subject and

unquestionably this discourse is immediately connected with what goes before This verse certainly ought not to have been separated from the preceding By this circumstance he describes more fully the nature of that desolation and calamity which he had formerly threatened against the Jews for hypocrites unless the threatening be conceived in strong terms either disregard or palliate warnings so that Godrsquo severity never produces its proper effect upon them From the effect therefore he describes the appalling nature of the approaching calamity that they may not indulge the hope of making an easy escape As if he had said ldquo not imagine that it will be of moderate extent lessening your numbers in a small degree for utter destruction awaits you so that hardly one man will be found for seven women rdquo The phrase take hold of conveys the same meaning It is no doubt inconsistent with the modesty of the sex that a woman should of her own accord offer herself to a man But the Prophet says that not only will they do this but that seven women will as it were lay hands on a man and keep hold of him so small will be the number of men The greatness of the calamity is likewise denoted by what immediately follows we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel for as it is a duty which belongs to a husband to support his wife and family the women ask a husband for themselves on unreasonable conditions when they release him from all concern about supplying them with food Very great must therefore be the scarcity of men when a great number of women laying aside modesty are not only constrained to solicit one man but do not even shrink from the agreement to procure their own victuals and request nothing more from a husband than to receive them within the bond of marriage Let thy name be called on us It may be rendered Let us be called by thy name for when a woman passes into the family of her husband she is called by his name and loses her own because the husband is her head (1Co_113) Hence the vail is a token of subjection and Abimelech said to Sarah Thy husband Abraham shall be a covering to thy head (Gen_2016) But if she remain unmarried she is concealed under the name of her family That this is the true meaning of that mode of expression is sufficiently evident from what Jacob says when blessing his grandchildren Let my name and the name of my fathers

Abraham and Isaac be called on them (Gen_4816) that is ldquo them be reckoned as our descendants and let them be partakers of the covenant and never excluded from it as were Esau and Ishmaelrdquo In the same manner also do heathen writers speak as in Lucan Marcia wishing to return to Cato says ldquo me only the bare name of marriage let permission be given that it may be inscribed on my tomb Marcia the wife of Catordquo (70) And take away our reproach Their reason for saying so is that women are sometimes treated with disdain when they do not obtain husbands not only because they appear to be despised as unworthy but because among the ancient people offspring was reckoned an important blessing and therefore the Prophet says that they will be desirous to wipe away this reproach and will employ every argument for that purpose Lastly he declares that the calamity will be so great that almost all the men will be carried off (70) Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia Luc Phars 2342

The Branch of the LORD 2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be

beautiful and glorious and the fruitof the land will be

the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel

1BARNES ldquoThe branch of the Lord - יהוה צמח yehova13h tsemach ldquoThe sproutrdquo of Yahweh

This expression and this verse have had a great variety of interpretations The Septuagint reads it lsquoIn that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth to exalt and to glorify the remnant of Israelrsquo The Chaldee renders it lsquoIn that day the Messiah of the Lord shall be for joy and glory and the doers of the law for praise and honor to those of Israel who are deliveredrsquo It is clear that the passage is designed to denote some signal blessing that was to succeed the calamity predicted in the previous verses The only question is to what has the prophet

reference The word lsquobranchrsquo (צמח tsemach) is derived from the verb (צמח tsa13mach) signifying ldquoto sprout to spring uprdquo spoken of plants Hence the word ldquobranchrdquo means properly that which ldquoshoots uprdquo or ldquosproutsrdquo from the root of a tree or from a decayed tree compare Job_147-9

The Messiah is thus said to be lsquoa root of Jessersquo Rom_1112 compare Isa_111 note Isa_1110 note and lsquothe root and offspring of Davidrsquo Rev_2216 as being a ldquodescendantrdquo of Jesse that is as if Jesse should fall like an aged tree yet the ldquorootrdquo would sprout up and live The word lsquobranchrsquo occurs several times in the Old Testament and in most if not all with express reference to the Messiah Jer_235 lsquoBehold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a

righteous Branch and a king shall reignrsquo Jer_3315 lsquoIn those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto Davidrsquo Zec_38 Zec_612 In all these places there can be no doubt that there is reference to him who was ldquoto spring uprdquo from David as a sprout does from a decayed and fallen tree and who is therefore called a ldquorootrdquo a ldquobranchrdquo of the royal stock There is besides a special beauty in the figure

The family of David when the Messiah was to come would be fallen into decay and almost extinct Joseph the husband of Mary though of the royal family of David Mat_120 Luk_24 was poor and the family had lost all claims to the throne In this state as from the decayed root of a fallen tree a ldquosproutrdquo or ldquobranchrdquo was to come forth with more than the magnificence of David and succeed him on the throne The name lsquobranchrsquo therefore came to be significant of the Messiah and to be synonymous with lsquothe son of Davidrsquo It is so used doubtless in this place as denoting that the coming of the Messiah would be a joy and honor in the days of calamity to the Jews Interpreters have not been agreed however in the meaning of this passage Grotius supposed that it referred to Ezra or Nehemiah but lsquomystically to Christ and Christiansrsquo Vogellius understood it of the ldquoremnantrdquo that should return from the Babylonian captivity Michaelis supposed that it refers to the Jews who should be a ldquoreformedrdquo people after their captivity and who should spring up with a new spirit Others have regarded it as a poetic description of the extraordinary fertility of the earth in future times The reasons for referring it to the Messiah are plain

(1) The word has this reference in other places and the representation of the Messiah under the image of a branch or shoot is as we have seen common in the Scriptures Thus also in

Isa_532 he is called also שרש shoresh root and יונק yo13neq a tender plant a sucker sprout shoot as of a decayed tree compare Job_816 Job_147 Job_1530 Eze_1722 And in

reference to the same idea perhaps it is said Isa_538 that he was נגזר nı+gezar ldquocut offrdquo as a branch sucker or shoot is cut off by the vine-dresser or farmer from the root of a decayed tree

And thus in Rev_55 he is called ίζα∆αβδ riza Dabid - the root of David

(2) This interpretation accords best with the ldquomagnificencerdquo of the description Isa_45-6 and

(3) It was so understood by the Chaldee interpreter and doubtless by the ancient Jews

Shall be beautiful and glorious - Hebrew lsquoShall be beauty and gloryrsquo that is shall be the chief ornament or honor of the land shall be that which gives to the nation its chief distinction and glory In such times of calamity his coming shal be an object of desire and his approach shall shed a rich splendor on that period of the world

And the fruit of the earth - פרי הארץ perı+y ha13a13rets correctly rendered ldquofruit of the earth or of the landrdquo The word lsquoearthrsquo is often in the Scriptures used to denote the land of Judea and perhaps the article here is intended to denote that that land is particularly intended This is the parallel expression to the former part of the verse in accordance with the laws of Hebrew poetry by which one member of a sentence expresses substantially the same meaning as the former see the Introduction Section 8 If the former expression referred to the ldquoMessiahrdquo this does also The lsquofruit of the earthrsquo is that which the earth produces and is here not different in signification from the ldquobranchrdquo which springs out of the ground Vitringa supposes that by this phrase the Messiah according to his human nature is meant So Hengstenberg (ldquoChristology in locrdquo) understands it and supposes that as the phrase ldquobranch of Yahwehrdquo refers to his divine origin as proceeding from Yahweh so this refers to his human origin as proceeding from the earth But the objections to this are obvious

(1) The second phrase according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism is most naturally an echo or repetition of the sentiment in the first member and means substantially the same thing

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

Abraham and Isaac be called on them (Gen_4816) that is ldquo them be reckoned as our descendants and let them be partakers of the covenant and never excluded from it as were Esau and Ishmaelrdquo In the same manner also do heathen writers speak as in Lucan Marcia wishing to return to Cato says ldquo me only the bare name of marriage let permission be given that it may be inscribed on my tomb Marcia the wife of Catordquo (70) And take away our reproach Their reason for saying so is that women are sometimes treated with disdain when they do not obtain husbands not only because they appear to be despised as unworthy but because among the ancient people offspring was reckoned an important blessing and therefore the Prophet says that they will be desirous to wipe away this reproach and will employ every argument for that purpose Lastly he declares that the calamity will be so great that almost all the men will be carried off (70) Da tantum nomen inane Connubii liceat tumulo scripsisse Catonis Marcia Luc Phars 2342

The Branch of the LORD 2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be

beautiful and glorious and the fruitof the land will be

the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel

1BARNES ldquoThe branch of the Lord - יהוה צמח yehova13h tsemach ldquoThe sproutrdquo of Yahweh

This expression and this verse have had a great variety of interpretations The Septuagint reads it lsquoIn that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth to exalt and to glorify the remnant of Israelrsquo The Chaldee renders it lsquoIn that day the Messiah of the Lord shall be for joy and glory and the doers of the law for praise and honor to those of Israel who are deliveredrsquo It is clear that the passage is designed to denote some signal blessing that was to succeed the calamity predicted in the previous verses The only question is to what has the prophet

reference The word lsquobranchrsquo (צמח tsemach) is derived from the verb (צמח tsa13mach) signifying ldquoto sprout to spring uprdquo spoken of plants Hence the word ldquobranchrdquo means properly that which ldquoshoots uprdquo or ldquosproutsrdquo from the root of a tree or from a decayed tree compare Job_147-9

The Messiah is thus said to be lsquoa root of Jessersquo Rom_1112 compare Isa_111 note Isa_1110 note and lsquothe root and offspring of Davidrsquo Rev_2216 as being a ldquodescendantrdquo of Jesse that is as if Jesse should fall like an aged tree yet the ldquorootrdquo would sprout up and live The word lsquobranchrsquo occurs several times in the Old Testament and in most if not all with express reference to the Messiah Jer_235 lsquoBehold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a

righteous Branch and a king shall reignrsquo Jer_3315 lsquoIn those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto Davidrsquo Zec_38 Zec_612 In all these places there can be no doubt that there is reference to him who was ldquoto spring uprdquo from David as a sprout does from a decayed and fallen tree and who is therefore called a ldquorootrdquo a ldquobranchrdquo of the royal stock There is besides a special beauty in the figure

The family of David when the Messiah was to come would be fallen into decay and almost extinct Joseph the husband of Mary though of the royal family of David Mat_120 Luk_24 was poor and the family had lost all claims to the throne In this state as from the decayed root of a fallen tree a ldquosproutrdquo or ldquobranchrdquo was to come forth with more than the magnificence of David and succeed him on the throne The name lsquobranchrsquo therefore came to be significant of the Messiah and to be synonymous with lsquothe son of Davidrsquo It is so used doubtless in this place as denoting that the coming of the Messiah would be a joy and honor in the days of calamity to the Jews Interpreters have not been agreed however in the meaning of this passage Grotius supposed that it referred to Ezra or Nehemiah but lsquomystically to Christ and Christiansrsquo Vogellius understood it of the ldquoremnantrdquo that should return from the Babylonian captivity Michaelis supposed that it refers to the Jews who should be a ldquoreformedrdquo people after their captivity and who should spring up with a new spirit Others have regarded it as a poetic description of the extraordinary fertility of the earth in future times The reasons for referring it to the Messiah are plain

(1) The word has this reference in other places and the representation of the Messiah under the image of a branch or shoot is as we have seen common in the Scriptures Thus also in

Isa_532 he is called also שרש shoresh root and יונק yo13neq a tender plant a sucker sprout shoot as of a decayed tree compare Job_816 Job_147 Job_1530 Eze_1722 And in

reference to the same idea perhaps it is said Isa_538 that he was נגזר nı+gezar ldquocut offrdquo as a branch sucker or shoot is cut off by the vine-dresser or farmer from the root of a decayed tree

And thus in Rev_55 he is called ίζα∆αβδ riza Dabid - the root of David

(2) This interpretation accords best with the ldquomagnificencerdquo of the description Isa_45-6 and

(3) It was so understood by the Chaldee interpreter and doubtless by the ancient Jews

Shall be beautiful and glorious - Hebrew lsquoShall be beauty and gloryrsquo that is shall be the chief ornament or honor of the land shall be that which gives to the nation its chief distinction and glory In such times of calamity his coming shal be an object of desire and his approach shall shed a rich splendor on that period of the world

And the fruit of the earth - פרי הארץ perı+y ha13a13rets correctly rendered ldquofruit of the earth or of the landrdquo The word lsquoearthrsquo is often in the Scriptures used to denote the land of Judea and perhaps the article here is intended to denote that that land is particularly intended This is the parallel expression to the former part of the verse in accordance with the laws of Hebrew poetry by which one member of a sentence expresses substantially the same meaning as the former see the Introduction Section 8 If the former expression referred to the ldquoMessiahrdquo this does also The lsquofruit of the earthrsquo is that which the earth produces and is here not different in signification from the ldquobranchrdquo which springs out of the ground Vitringa supposes that by this phrase the Messiah according to his human nature is meant So Hengstenberg (ldquoChristology in locrdquo) understands it and supposes that as the phrase ldquobranch of Yahwehrdquo refers to his divine origin as proceeding from Yahweh so this refers to his human origin as proceeding from the earth But the objections to this are obvious

(1) The second phrase according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism is most naturally an echo or repetition of the sentiment in the first member and means substantially the same thing

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

righteous Branch and a king shall reignrsquo Jer_3315 lsquoIn those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto Davidrsquo Zec_38 Zec_612 In all these places there can be no doubt that there is reference to him who was ldquoto spring uprdquo from David as a sprout does from a decayed and fallen tree and who is therefore called a ldquorootrdquo a ldquobranchrdquo of the royal stock There is besides a special beauty in the figure

The family of David when the Messiah was to come would be fallen into decay and almost extinct Joseph the husband of Mary though of the royal family of David Mat_120 Luk_24 was poor and the family had lost all claims to the throne In this state as from the decayed root of a fallen tree a ldquosproutrdquo or ldquobranchrdquo was to come forth with more than the magnificence of David and succeed him on the throne The name lsquobranchrsquo therefore came to be significant of the Messiah and to be synonymous with lsquothe son of Davidrsquo It is so used doubtless in this place as denoting that the coming of the Messiah would be a joy and honor in the days of calamity to the Jews Interpreters have not been agreed however in the meaning of this passage Grotius supposed that it referred to Ezra or Nehemiah but lsquomystically to Christ and Christiansrsquo Vogellius understood it of the ldquoremnantrdquo that should return from the Babylonian captivity Michaelis supposed that it refers to the Jews who should be a ldquoreformedrdquo people after their captivity and who should spring up with a new spirit Others have regarded it as a poetic description of the extraordinary fertility of the earth in future times The reasons for referring it to the Messiah are plain

(1) The word has this reference in other places and the representation of the Messiah under the image of a branch or shoot is as we have seen common in the Scriptures Thus also in

Isa_532 he is called also שרש shoresh root and יונק yo13neq a tender plant a sucker sprout shoot as of a decayed tree compare Job_816 Job_147 Job_1530 Eze_1722 And in

reference to the same idea perhaps it is said Isa_538 that he was נגזר nı+gezar ldquocut offrdquo as a branch sucker or shoot is cut off by the vine-dresser or farmer from the root of a decayed tree

And thus in Rev_55 he is called ίζα∆αβδ riza Dabid - the root of David

(2) This interpretation accords best with the ldquomagnificencerdquo of the description Isa_45-6 and

(3) It was so understood by the Chaldee interpreter and doubtless by the ancient Jews

Shall be beautiful and glorious - Hebrew lsquoShall be beauty and gloryrsquo that is shall be the chief ornament or honor of the land shall be that which gives to the nation its chief distinction and glory In such times of calamity his coming shal be an object of desire and his approach shall shed a rich splendor on that period of the world

And the fruit of the earth - פרי הארץ perı+y ha13a13rets correctly rendered ldquofruit of the earth or of the landrdquo The word lsquoearthrsquo is often in the Scriptures used to denote the land of Judea and perhaps the article here is intended to denote that that land is particularly intended This is the parallel expression to the former part of the verse in accordance with the laws of Hebrew poetry by which one member of a sentence expresses substantially the same meaning as the former see the Introduction Section 8 If the former expression referred to the ldquoMessiahrdquo this does also The lsquofruit of the earthrsquo is that which the earth produces and is here not different in signification from the ldquobranchrdquo which springs out of the ground Vitringa supposes that by this phrase the Messiah according to his human nature is meant So Hengstenberg (ldquoChristology in locrdquo) understands it and supposes that as the phrase ldquobranch of Yahwehrdquo refers to his divine origin as proceeding from Yahweh so this refers to his human origin as proceeding from the earth But the objections to this are obvious

(1) The second phrase according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism is most naturally an echo or repetition of the sentiment in the first member and means substantially the same thing

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

(2) The phrase lsquobranch of Yahwehrsquo does not refer of necessity to his divine nature The idea is that of a decayed tree that has fallen down and has left a living root which sends up a shoot or sucker and can be applied with great elegance to the decayed family of David But how or in what sense can this be applied to Yahweh Is Yahweh thus fallen and decayed The idea properly is that this shoot of a decayed family should be nurtured up by Yahweh should be appointed by him and should thus be ldquohisrdquo branch The parallel member denotes substantially the same thing lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo - the shoot which the earth produces - or which springs up from a decayed family as the sprout does from a fallen tree

(3) It is as true that his human nature proceeded from God as his divine It was produced by the Holy Spirit and can no more be regarded as lsquothe fruit of the earthrsquo than his divine nature Luk_135 Heb_105

(4) This mode of interpretation is suited to bring the whole subject into contempt There are plain and positive passages enough to prove that the Messiah had a divine nature and there are enough also to prove that he was a man but nothing is more adapted to produce disgust in relation to the whole subject in the minds of skeptical or of thinking men than a resort to arguments such as this in defense of a great and glorious doctrine of revelation

Shall be excellent - Shall be ldquofor exaltationrdquo or ldquohonorrdquo

Comely - Hebrew lsquoFor an ornamentrsquo meaning that ldquoherdquo would be an honor to those times

For them that are escaped of Israel - Margin lsquoThe escaping of Israelrsquo For the remnant the small number that shall escape the calamities - a description of the pious portion of Israel which now escaped from all calamities - would rejoice in the anticipated blessings of the Messiahrsquos reign or would participate in the blessings of that reign The idea is not however that the number who would be saved would be ldquosmallrdquo but that they would be characterized as those who had ldquoescapedrdquo or who had been rescued

2 CLARKE ldquoThe branch of the Lord ldquothe branch of Jehovahrdquo - The Messiah of Jehovah says the Chaldee And Kimchi says The Messiah the Son of David The branch is an appropriate title of the Messiah and the fruit of the land means the great Person to spring from the house of Judah and is only a parallel expression signifying the same or perhaps the blessings consequent upon the redemption procured by him Compare Isa_458 (note) where the same great event is set forth under similar images and see the note there

Them that are escaped of Israel ldquothe escaped of the house of Israelrdquo - A MS has בית

beithyisrael the house of Israel ישראל

3 GILL ldquoIn that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious When the beauty of the Jewish women shall be taken away and their men shall he slain by whom is meant not the righteous and wise men left among the Jews as Jarchi and Aben Ezra nor Hezekiah which is the sense of some as the latter observes but the Messiah as Kimchi and so the Targum which paraphrases the words thus at that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and glory

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

and the Septuagint understand it of a divine Person appearing on earth rendering the words for in that day God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth and so the Arabic version Christ is called the branch not as God but as man not as a son but as a servant as Mediator and it chiefly regards his descent from David and when his family was very mean and low and a branch being but a tender thing it denotes Christs state of humiliation on earth when he grew up as a tender plant before the Lord and was contemptible in the eyes of men and he is called the branch of the Lord because of his raising up and bringing forth see Zec_38 and yet this branch became beautiful being laden with the fruits of divine grace such as righteousness reconciliation peace pardon adoption sanctification and eternal life as well as having all his people as branches growing on him and receiving their life and fruitfulness from him and glorious being the branch made strong to do the work of the Lord by his obedience and death and especially he became glorious when raised from the dead when he ascended up to heaven and was exalted there at the right hand of God and when his Gospel was spread and his kingdom increased in the Gentile world as it did both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem the time here referred to and which will he in a more glorious condition in the last days and now he is glorious in the eyes of all that believe in him and is glorified by them and when he comes a second time he will appear in his own and his fathers glory and in the glory of the holy angels And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely not the children of the

righteous as Jarchi nor עבדיאוריתא the doers of the law as the Targum see Rom_213 but the

Messiah as before as Kimchi well observes called the fruit of the earth to show that he is not a dry and withered but a fruitful branch and which should fill the earth with fruit and because he sprung from the earth as man and was the fruit of a woman that was of the earth earthly and so this as the former denotes the meanness of Christ in human nature while here on earth and yet he became as these words foretold be should excellent he appeared to be excellent in his person as the Son of God and to have a more excellent name and nature than the angels and fairer than the sons of men to be excellent as the cedars and more excellent than the mountains of prey to have obtained a more excellent ministry than Aaron and his sons to be excellent in all his offices of Prophet Priest and King and particularly in the fruits and blessings of grace which grew upon him and came from him see Deu_3313 and comely in his person as God and man in the perfections of his divine nature and in the fulness of his grace and so are his people as considered in him who are made perfectly comely through the comeliness he puts upon them and so he is for them that are escaped of Israel not beautiful and glorious excellent and comely in the view of all men only them that believe who have seen his glory and have tasted that he is gracious these are the remnant according to the election of grace the preserved of Israel the chosen of God and precious who were saved from that untoward generation the Jews and escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation

4 HENRY ldquoBy the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition every thing looks melancholy But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles and of happy days which shall come after them and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah and the great redemption to be wrought out by him under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon to both these events the passage may have some reference but chiefly to Christ It is here promised as the issue of all these troubles

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

I That God will raise up a righteous branch which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa_42) In that day that same day at that very time when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up and then shall be the reviving of the church when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it

1 Christ himself shall be exalted He is the branch of the Lord the man the branch it is one of prophetical names my servant the branch (Zec_38 Zec_612) the branch of righteousness (Jer_235 Jer_3315) a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa_111) and this as some think is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene Mat_223 Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it The Christ or Messiah of the Lord He shall be the beauty and glory and joy (1) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was He that was a reproach of men whose visage was marred more than any mans is now in the upper world beautiful and glorious as the sun in his strength admired and adored by angels (2) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers shall gain an interest in the world and a name among men above every name To those that believe he is precious he is an honour (1Pe_27) the fairest of ten thousand (Son_510) and altogether glorious Let us rejoice that he is so and let him be so to us

2 His gospel shall be embraced The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord

all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ But it is called the fruit of the earth

because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state And Christ compares

himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies and so brings forth much fruit

Joh_1224 The success of the gospel is represented by the earths yielding her increase

(Psa_676) and the planting of the Christian church is Gods sowing it to himself in the earth

Hos_223 We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the

gospel they shall be excellent and comely shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to

those that have escaped of Israel to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing

with the rest in unbelief Rom_115 Note If Christ be precious to us his gospel will be so and all

its truths and promises - his church will be so and all that belong to it These are the good fruit

of the earth in comparison with which all other things are but weeds It will be a good evidence

to us that we are of the chosen remnant distinguished from the rest that are called Israel and

marked for salvation if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ and in holiness

and in the saints the excellent ones of the earth As a type of this blessed day Jerusalem after

Sennacheribs invasion and after the captivity in Babylon should again flourish as a branch and

be blessed with the fruits of the earth Compare Isa_3731 Isa_3732 The remnant shall again

take root downward and bear fruit upward And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand

the good things of this life we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the

chosen remnant who having a covenant - right to them have the most comfortable use of them

If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes even the fruit of the earth also

will be excellent and comely because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise Psa_3716

1Ti_48

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

5 JAMISON ldquoIn contrast to those on whom vengeance falls there is a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo in His characteristic attributes beauty and glory typified in Aaronrsquos garments (Exo_282) Their sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being ldquowrittenrdquo in the book of life by sovereign love (Isa_43) the means of it are the ldquospirit of judgmentrdquo and that of ldquoburningrdquo (Isa_44) Their ldquodefenserdquo by the special presence of Jesus Christ is promised (Isa_45 Isa_46)

branch mdash the sprout of Jehovah Messiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612 Luk_178 Margin) The parallel clause does not as Maurer objects oppose this for ldquofruit of the earthrdquo answers to ldquobranchrdquo He shall not be a dry but a fruit-bearing branch (Isa_276 Eze_3423-27) He is ldquoof the earthrdquo in His birth and death while He is also ldquoof the Lordrdquo (Jehovah) (Joh_1224) His name ldquothe Branchrdquo chiefly regards His descent from David when the family was low and reduced (Luk_24 Luk_27 Luk_224) a sprout with more than Davidrsquos glory springing as from a decayed tree (Isa_111 Isa_532 Rev_2216)

excellent mdash (Heb_14 Heb_86)

comely mdash (Son_515 Son_516 Eze_1614)

escaped of Israel mdash the elect remnant (Rom_115) (1) in the return from Babylon (2) in the escape from Jerusalemrsquos destruction under Titus (3) in the still future assault on Jerusalem and deliverance of ldquothe third partrdquo events mutually analogous like concentric circles (Zec_122-10 Zec_138 Zec_139 etc Zec_142 Eze_3923-29 Joe_31-21)

6 KampD ldquoldquoIn that day will the sprout of Jehovah become an ornament and glory and the fruit of the land pride and splendour for the redeemed of Israelrdquo The four epithets of glory which are here grouped in pairs strengthen our expectation that now that the mass of Israel has been swept away together with the objects of its worthless pride we shall find a description of what will become an object of well-grounded pride to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo ie to the remnant that has survived the judgment and been saved from destruction But with this interpretation of the promise it is impossible that it can be the church of the future itself which is here called the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the landrdquo as Luzzatto and Malbim suppose and equally impossible with such an antithesis between what is promised and what is abolished that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo and ldquofruit of the earthrdquo should signify the harvest blessings bestowed by

Jehovah or the rich produce of the land For although the expression zemach Jehovah (sprout of Jehovah) may unquestionably be used to signify this as in Gen_29 and Psa_10414 (cf Isa_6111) and fruitfulness of the land is a standing accompaniment of the eschatological promises (eg Isa_3023 compare the conclusion of Joel and Amos) and it was also foretold that the fruitful fields of Israel would become a glory in the sight of the nations (Eze_3429 Mal_312 cf Joe_217) yet this earthly material good of which moreover there was no lack in the time of Uzziah and Jotham was altogether unsuitable to set forth such a contrast as would surpass and outshine the worldly glory existing before But even granting what Hofmann adduces in support of this view - namely that the natural God-given blessings of the field do form a fitting antithesis to the studied works of art of which men had hitherto been proud - there is still truth in the remark of Rosenmuumlller that ldquothe magnificence of the whole passage is at variance with such an interpretationrdquo Only compare Isa_285 where Jehovah Himself is described in the same manner as the glory and ornament of the remnant of Israel But if the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo is neither the redeemed remnant itself nor the fruit of the field it must be the name of the Messiah And it is in this sense that it has been understood by the Targum and by such modern commentators as Rosenmuumlller Hengstenberg Steudel Umbreit Caspari

Drechsler and others The great King of the future is called zemach 8νατολή in the sense of

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

Heb_714 viz as a shoot springing out of the human Davidic earthly soil - a shoot which Jehovah had planted in the earth and would cause to break through and spring forth as the pride of His congregation which was waiting for this heavenly child It is He again who is designated in the parallel clause as the ldquofruit of the landrdquo (or lit fruit of the earth) as being the fruit which the land of Israel and consequently the earth itself would produce just as in Eze_175 Zedekiah is called a ldquoseed of the earthrdquo The reasons already adduced to show that ldquothe sprout of Jehovahrdquo cannot refer to the blessings of the field apply with equal force to ldquothe fruit of the earthrdquo This also relates to the Messiah Himself regarded as the fruit in which all the growth and bloom of this earthly history would eventually reach its promised and divinely appointed conclusion The use of this double epithet to denote ldquothe coming Onerdquo can only be accounted for without anticipating the New Testament standpoint

(Note From a New Testament point of view we might say that the ldquosprout of Jehovahrdquo or ldquofruit of the earthrdquo was the grain of wheat which redeeming love sowed in the earth on Good Friday the grain of wheat which began to break through the ground and grow towards heaven on Easter Sunday the grain of wheat whose golden blade ascended heavenwards on Ascension Day the grain of wheat whose myriad-fold ear bent down to the earth on the day of Pentecost and poured out the grains from which the holy church not only was born but still continues to be born But such thoughts as these lie outside the historico-grammatical meaning)

from the desire to depict His double-sided origin He would come on the one hand from Jehovah but on the other hand from the earth inasmuch as He would spring from Israel We

have here the passage on the basis of which zemach (the sprout of ldquoBranchrdquo) was adopted by

Jeremiah (Jer_235 and Jer_3315) and Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612) as a proper name for the

Messiah and upon which Matthew by combining this proper name zemach (sprout) with nezer (Isa_111 cf Isa_532) rests his affirmation that according to the Old Testament prophecies the future Messiah was to be called a Nazarene It is undoubtedly strange that this epithet should be introduced so entirely without preparation even by Isaiah who coined it first In fact the whole passage relating to the Messiah stands quite alone in this cycle of prophecies in chapters 1-6 But the book of Isaiah is a complete and connected work What the prophet indicates merely in outline here he carries out more fully in the cycle of prophecies which follows in chapters 7-12 and there the enigma which he leaves as an enigma in the passage before us receives the fullest solution Without dwelling any further upon the man of the future described in this enigmatically symbolical way the prophet hurries on to a more precise description of the church of the future

7 BI ldquoThe first personal reference in Isaiah to the Messiah

If this is a reference to Christ critics are agreed that it is the first personal reference to the Messiah which Isaiah has yet given (J Parker D D)

A pleasing contrast

What so beautiful as that a branch should appear in this wilderness of lava Blessed are they who can turn away from the desert and look at the garden (J Parker D D)

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

A branch

Then the fountains of life and energy are not dried up (J Parker D D)

A branch

That is to say fruitfulness beauty sufficiency energy summer This is what the Son of God same to be and to domdashto fill the earth with fruitfulness to drive away the ghastly all-devouring famine and to feed the world with the fruit of heaven (J Parker D D)

The Branch of the Lord

I THE GENERAL MEANING OF THE PASSAGE The time spoken of by the prophet is clearly the time of the Christian dispensation called ldquothe last daysrdquo (ch 2) And we need not stop to prove that ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo is a name or title of the Messiah We have therefore a prophecy of the glory of Christrsquos kingdom

II THE INNER MEANING OF THE PASSAGE

(1) Why is it said ldquoIn that dayrdquo specifying a particular time ldquothe Branch of the Lord shall be gloriousrdquo And

(2) what is the special force or meaning of the title ldquothe Branch of the Lordrdquo

1 The glory of Christ is surely the glory which He had with the Father from the beginning How then can it be said of Him that at any assigned time He is glorious rather than at another The word glory when spoken of God or Christ cannot have precisely the same sense as when spoken of a man A man may gain glory by some act above the average of human nature But starting from infinite perfection nothing greater or nobler can be conceived Glory therefore with reference to God is not the gaining of any higher excellence but the manifestation of excellence which existed already The creation was the first manifestation of the glory of God And if the glory of God was made manifest in creation it is yet more fully revealed in those mysteries of redemption which angels desired to look into

2 But why in this connection is the Saviour called the Branch of the Lord If the appropriateness of the figure does not at once appear it will at least remind us ofmdashldquoI am the Vine ye are the branchesrdquo The expression thus sets Christ before us in His character as the MediatormdashHimself the Branch of the Lord and His people branches of that true Vine Thus we are enabled further to connect the title with the glory spoken of The glory and beauty of the vine is in its fruit (Joh_158) (A K Cherrill M A)

Godrsquos perpetual presence with His people

I THE PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE In the earlier verses of the chapter you will find that two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

1 The transition from the gloomy judgment to the grandeur of deliverance is abrupt and striking as if from a savage wilderness one were to emerge suddenly into green pastures and among gay flowers And surely this is a true representation of the change which passes upon human destinies when Christ the Lord comes down We are naturally heirs of judgment There is not a family there is not a heart upon which the curse has not descended in

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

disastrous entail there is a stain upon the birth there is a feebleness in the nature of us all But there comes a sound of help and of deliverance for a Saviour has been providedmdasha Saviour who in the mysterious union of natures combines perfection of sympathy and almightiness of power

2 It would at once correct our estimate and restrain our pride if we could remember always that with God the greatest thing is holiness And then further we are told that to work this holiness in His people God subjects them to discipline and if necessary to the spirit of judgment and to the spirit of burning Mark the exquisite fitness and the exquisite kindness of the discipline There are some stains that water can wash away If the water will avail there is no need of the fire There are some stains so deep and foul and crimson that the fire must purge them

II THE PROMISE ITSELF (verse 5) As we read these words we are translated to a former scene of deliverance We go back to the older ages and there in the fierce wilderness where no groves of palm trees wave with shade a vast host marching steadily now in their van for guidance now in their rear for protection there rises by day a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of flame and as we gaze we listen to the snatches of their song ldquoSing ye to the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the seardquo This was the vision prominent in the mind of the prophet when he symbolised by it Godrsquos presence and protection to His chosen Church

1 The central thought is the presence of God Then there are right-hand and left-hand thoughts or aspects in which that presence manifests itself

2 The presence of God for counsel

3 The presence of God for defence (W M Punshom)

Godrsquos promise to the remnant

I THE PERSONS INTENDED The remnant the escaping the ldquoevasion of Israelrdquo as the word signifies (Isa_42) they that are left that remain (Isa_43) who escape the great desolation that was to come on the body of the people the furnace they were to pass through Only in the close of that verse they have a further description added of them from the purpose of God concerning their grace and glorymdashthey are written among the living or rather written unto life ldquoEveryone that is writtenrdquo ie designed unto life in Jerusalem

II THE CONDITION WHEREIN THEY WERE This is laid down in figurative expressions concerning the smallness of this remnant or the paucity of them that should escape and the greatness of the extremities they should be exercised withal

III THE PROMISES HERE MADE TO THIS PEOPLE are of two sorts Original or fundamental and then consequential thereon

1 There is the great spring or fountain promise from which all others as lesser streams do flow and that is the promise of Christ Himself unto them and amongst them He is that Branch of Jehovah and that fruit of the earth which is there promised (Isa_42) He is the foundation the fountain of all the good that is or shall be communicated unto us all other promises are but rivulets from that unsearchable ocean of grace and love that is in the promise of Christ

2 The promises that flow from hencemdash

(1) Of beauty and glory (Isa_42)

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

(2) Of holiness and purity (Isa_43-4)

(3) Of preservation and safety (Isa_45-6) (J Owen D D)

8SBC 2-5 ldquoI Notice first the preparation for the promise In the earlier verses of this chapter two things are presented as antecedent to the gifts of blessingmdashthat is the coming of the Divine Saviour and His discipline for holiness within His Church

II The promise itself There is (1) The presence of God with His Church (2) The presence of God for counsel This was the primary purpose for which the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were given For guidance in the perplexities of life Godrsquos presence is promised in the churches of today (3) The presence of God for defence Many a time lyers-in-wait have attacked the Church and empires have undertaken to destroy her and have called up the secret resources of power for her overthrow and yet she lives while the names of her oppressors are forgotten or remembered only with accusation and with shame and it must be so as long as God lives to protect and bless the Church that He has chosen and redeemed

W Morley Punshon Christian World Pulpit vol ii p 372

9 PULPIT ldquoThe existing division between Isa_31-26 and 4 is scarcely

satisfactory Isa_31 of Isa_41-6 belongs to the minatory portion of the section beginning

with Isa_21 and terminating with Isa_46 and so stands connected in subject with Isa_31-26 which is

wholly minatory whereas the remainder of Isa_41-6 (Isa_42-6) is consolatory consisting of a series of

promises Isa_41 is also for-really connected with Isa_31-26 by the vau conjunctive while the absence

of any such link at the opening of Isa_32 indicates the commencement of a new paragraph at that point

Isa_41

Seven women shall take hold of one man This verse has been well called a companion picture

to Isa_36 Isa_37 As there in the evil time of Gods judgment the despairing men are represented as

taking hold of a respectable man to make him their judge so now the despairing women take hold of

such a man and request him to allow them all to be regarded as his wives There has been such a

destructionmdashmen are become so scarcemdashthat no otherwise can women escape the shame and reproach

of being unwedded and childless Our own bread will we eat They do not ask him to support them they

are able and willing to support themselves To take away rather take thou awaymdashthe imperative mood

not the infinitive Our reproach Children were regarded as such a blessing in the ancient times that to be

childless was a misfortune and a subject of reproach Hagar despised the barren Sarai (Gen_164) Her

adversary provoked Hannah sore because the Lord had shut up her womb (1Sa_16) Compare the

lament of Antigone who views it as a disgrace that she descends to the tomb unwed Among the Jews

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

childlessness was a special reproach because it took away all possibility of the woman being in the line

of the Messiahs descent (comp Isa_541-4)

In that day shall the branch of the Lord etc Some see in this passage merely a promise that in the

Messianic times the produce of the soil would become more abundant than ever before its harvests

richer and its fruitage more luxuriant But in the light of later prophecy it is scarcely possible to shut up

the meaning within such narrow limits The Branch of Isaiah can hardly be isolated altogether in a sound

exegesis from the Branch of Jeremiah (Jer_235 Jer_3315) and of Zechariah (Zec_38 Zec_612)

Now the Branch of Zechariah is stated to be a man (Zec_612 note that the word used for Branch

is the same as Isaiahs viztsemakh) and the Branch of Jeremiah is a King (Jer_3315) Moreover

Isaiah uses a nearly equivalent term (netser) in an admittedly Messianic sense Although therefore there

is some obscurity in the phrase Branch of Jehovah it would seem to be best to understand Isaiah as

here intimating what he elsewhere openly declares (Isa_111-5)mdashviz the coming of the Messiah in the

latter days as the ornament and glory of his people Be beautiful and glorious rather for beauty and

glory or for ornament and glory ie for the ornament and glorification of Israel And the fruit of the

earth It is argued with reason that the two clauses of this verse are parallel not antithetical and that as

we understand the one so must we understand the other If then the Branch is the Messiah so is

the fruit of the earth-which may well be since he was the grain of wheat which fell into the ground

and lied and so brought forth much fruit (Joh_1224) Excellent and comely rather for majesty and

beauty (comp Exo_282 Exo_2840) Unto the escaped of Israel ie to those who shall have our-rived

the great calamity and become citizens of the restored Jerusalem Dr Kay well remarks that the

prophecy was adequately fulfilled only in those who saved themselves from the generation which

rejected Christ That remnant was the germ of the Catholic Church made such by being incorporated into

the true Vine (Speakers Commentary note at loc)

10 PULPIT ldquoThe Divine and human Messiah

This verse has been explained as a promise merely of the renewed fertility of the earth in Gods day of

restorings That explanation is not however deep enough It does not recognize how characteristic it was

of the ancient prophets to refer to local and historical circumstances while their minds soared away to

those Messianic pictures which local incidents only suggested The constant thought of the prophets was

the ideal age and ideal person of Messiah anti we are right in detecting the expression of that thought

everywhere This verse may be regarded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be

delivered and saved and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human

natures The figure of the Branch suggests his divinity (comp Jer_235 Jer_3315 Zec_38 Zec_612)

The figure fruit of the earth suggests his humanity That this may have been the thought of the prophet

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

is indicated by the adjectives which are used Beautiful and glorious are adjectives of admiration applied

to Messiah regarded as the Branch Excellent and comely are adjectives of appreciation and

relation to us and are applied to him regarded as the fruit of the earth

I THE DIVINE MESSIAH CAN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GOD Illustrate from the way in which

our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father and only did the works of

the Father

II THE HUMAN MESSIAH CAN BE IN SYMPATHY WITH MEN Illustrate the High Priest who can be

touched with the feeling of our infirmities In view of the troubles and distresses which Isaiah pictures

and which Messiah is to rectify it is evident that he must he divinely strong if he is to master heal

recover cleanse and bring on restored blessings and it is equally evident that he must be human to

sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and savemdashRT

11 CALVIN ldquo2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be for beauty and glory (71) This consolation is

seasonably added for the announcement of a dreadful calamity might have alarmed the godly and led

them to doubt as to the stability of Godrsquo covenant being maintained amidst the destruction of the people

For there is a wide difference between the two statements that the people will be like the sand of the sea

(Gen_2217 Isa_1022) and yet that they would be cut down by such a frightful massacre that in the

remnant there would be found no dignity no magnificence and hardly any name Isaiah therefore

according to the custom generally followed by himself and by the prophets provides against this alarm

and by adding a consolation assuages their excessive terror that believers may still rest assured that

the Church will be safe and may strengthen their hearts by good hope As he spoke of the restoration of

the Church in the second chapter so he now promises that a new Church will arise as

a bud or shoot springs up in a field which was formerly uncultivated

This passage is usually expounded as referring to Christ and the opinion plausible in itself derives

additional probability from the words of the prophet Zechariah

Behold the man whose name shall be The Branch

(Zec_612)

It is still further strengthened by the consideration that the Prophet does not barely name this Branch but

mentions it with a title expressive of respect as if he had intended to honor the Divinity of Christ When

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

he afterwards adds the fruits of the earth they consider this as referring to his human nature But after a

careful examination of the whole I do not hesitate to regard the Branch of God and the fruit of the

earth as denoting an unusual and abundant supply of grace which will relieve the hungry for he speaks

as if the earth barren and exhausted after the desolation would hold out no promise of future produce in

order that the sudden fertility might render the kindness of God the more desirable as if the parched and

barren fields would yield unexpected herbage

This metaphor is frequently employed in Scripture that the gifts of God spring up in the world

Truth shall spring out of the earth and

righteousness shall look down from heaven (Psa_8511)

In like manner the Prophet afterwards says

Let the earth open and bring forth salvation (Isa_458)

These words unquestionably denote a rich supply both of spiritual and of earthly blessings That such is

the meaning of the passage now under consideration is evident from the context for Isaiah immediately

afterwards adds that it will be for honor and lustre to the delivered of Israel (72) that is to the number left

whom the Lord will rescue from destruction

The word פליטת (pheletath) is commonly translated escape but here as in many other passages it is a

collective noun denoting those who have escaped He declares that the elect will enjoy that happy fertility

which he had promised and therefore (verse 3) that those who shall be left will be holy The meaning of

the Prophet is that the glory of God will be illustriously displayed when a new Church shall arise as if he

would create a people for himself out of nothing and to enrich it with every kind of blessings

They who limit it to the person of Christ expose themselves to the ridicule of the Jews as if it were in

consequence of scarcity that they tortured passages of Scripture for their own convenience But there are

other passages of Scripture from which it may be more clearly proved that Christ is true God and true

man so that there is no need of ingenious glosses Yet I acknowledge that the Prophet speaks here

about the kingdom of Christ on which the restoration of the Church is founded But it ought to be

observed that the consolation is not addressed indiscriminately to all but only to the remnant which has

been marvellously rescued from the jaws of death

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

Besides as it might be deemed a cold consolation if he had only said that a small number would be

saved he discourses about the magnificent glory and dazzling brightness to lead believers to hope that

this diminution will do no harm because the excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in

purity when God bestows splendid and glorious communications of the Spirit of God on his elect Hence

we ought to draw a very useful doctrine that though believers be exceedingly few when they are

like brands plucked out of the fire (Zec_32) yet that God will glorify himself amongst them and will

display in the midst of them a proof of his unspeakable greatness not less illustrious than amidst a large

number

(71) In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious mdash Eng Ver The marginal reading

is beauty and glory mdash Ed

(72) Excellent and comely [Hebbeauty and glory ] for them that are escaped of Israel [Hebfor the

escaping of Israel ] mdash Eng Ver

3 Those who are left in Zion who remain in Jerusalem

will be called holy all who are recordedamong the

living in Jerusalem

1BARNES ldquoHe that is left in Zion - This ldquoproperlyrdquo refers to the remnant that should remain after the mass of the people should be cut off by wars or be borne into captivity If it refer to the few that would come back from Babylon it means that they would be reformed and would be a generation different from their fathers - which was undoubtedly true If it refer as the connection seems to indicate to the times of the Messiah then it speaks of those who are lsquoleftrsquo while the great mass of the nation would be unbelievers and would be destroyed The mass of the nation would be cut off and the remnant that was left would be holy that is all true friends of the Messiah would be holy

Shall be called holy - That is shall ldquoberdquo holy The expression lsquoto be calledrsquo is often used in the Scriptures as synonymous with lsquoto bersquo

Every one that is written among the living - The Jews were accustomed to register the names of all the people Those names were written in a catalogue or register of each tribe or family To be written in that book or register meant to be alive for when a death occurred the name was stricken out Exo_3232 Dan_121 Eze_139 The expression came also to denote all

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

who were truly the friends of God they whose names are written in ldquohisrdquo book - the book of life In this sense it is used in the New Testament Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_175 In this sense it is understood in this place by the Chaldee Par lsquoEvery one shall be called holy who is written to eternal life he shall see the consolation of Jerusalemrsquo If the reference here is to the Messiah then the passage denotes that under the reign of the Messiah all who should be found enrolled as his followers would be holy An effectual separation would subsist between them and the mass of the people They would be ldquoenrolledrdquo as his friends and they would be a separate holy community compare 1Pe_29

2 CLARKE ldquoWritten among the living - That is whose name stands in the enrolment or register of the people or every man living who is a citizen of Jerusalem See Eze_139 where ldquothey shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israelrdquo is the same with what immediately goes before ldquothey shall not be in the assembly of my peoplerdquo Compare Psa_6928 Psa_876 Exo_3232 To number and register the people was agreeable to the law of Moses and probably was always practiced being in sound policy useful and even necessary Davidrsquos design of numbering the people was of another kind it was to enroll them for his army Michaelis Mosaisches Recht Part iii p 227 See also his Dissert de Censibus Hebraeorum

3 GILL ldquoAnd it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem These are the persons to whom Christ appears beautiful and glorious excellent and comely who will be left and remain in Zion and Jerusalem by which is meant the Gospel church or church as in the latter day in which these shall continue abide by the truths and doctrines of the Gospel and the ordinances thereof and persevere unto the end even when Christ shall take his fan in his hand and purge his floor of the chaff when the filth of the daughter of Zion shall be washed away by the spirit of judgment and burning as in the following verse Isa_44 when it shall be a shocking and shaking time in the churches and the hour of temptation shall come that shall try those that dwell upon earth these shall be pillars in the temple of God that shall never go out The doctrine of the saints final perseverance is held forth in these words as their sanctification and election are in the following clauses which secure it to them they shall be called holy in the original text it is added unto him either the person left it shall be said to him that he is holy or rather the branch and Kimchi interprets it because of him for these are accounted holy through the imputation of the holiness of Christ unto them and they are really and inherently holy through the grace of Christ implanted in them they are called to be holy to be saints and they are called with a holy calling and unto holiness and in effectual calling principles of grace and holiness are wrought in them and which appear in their lives and conversations The principal meaning seems to be that those who shall hold fast their profession and hold out and persevere through the trying dispensation in the latter day they shall be remarkably holy they shall shine in the beauties of holiness holiness shall be upon their horses bells and they themselves shall be holiness unto the Lord Zec_1420 even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem or everyone that is written unto life (m) that is unto eternal life as the Targum paraphrases the words and it is the same with being ordained unto eternal life Act_1348 or predestination unto life which is a writing of the names of Gods elect in the book of life this writing is Gods writing it is his act

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

and deed the act of God the Father and an eternal one flowing from his sovereign will and pleasure and is sure certain and unfrustrable what is written is written and can never be altered and election being signified by writing names in a book shows it to be particular and personal not of nations churches and bodies of men but of particular persons and that it is irrespective of faith holiness and good works and entirely unconditional it is of naked persons and not as so and so qualified and that it is distinguishing of some and not others whom God has an exact knowledge of and calls by name and this writing is unto life or lives as in the original text not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and eternal one in consequence of which such become living holy and persevering Christians in Jerusalem in the church of God and shall be admitted into the New Jerusalem and none else Rev_2127 and so Jarchi interprets it everyone that is written to the life of the world to come or to eternal life shall be in Jerusalem and the Targum adds and he shall see the consolation of Jerusalem from hence it appears that election is the source and spring of holiness and the security of the saints final perseverance Rom_830 and is not a licentious doctrine but a doctrine according to godliness holiness is a fruit and evidence of it whoever are written or ordained to life become holy and these being brought to Zion remain there and persevere unto the end

4 HENRY ldquoII That God will reserve to himself a holy seed Isa_43 When the generality of

those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered

branches by their own unbelief yet some shall be left Some shall remain some shall still cleave

to the church when its property is altered and it has become Christian for God will not quite

cast off his people Rom_111 There is here and there one that is left Now 1 This is a remnant

according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks Rom_115) such as are written among

the living marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation written to life

(so the word is) designed and determined for it unalterably for ldquowhat I have written I have

writtenrdquo Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of

divine Providence and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be

such as were written in the Lambs book of life Rev_138 As many as were ordained unto

eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul Act_1348 Note All that were written among

the living shall be found among the living every one for of all that were given to Christ he will

lose none 2 It is a remnant under the dominion of grace for every one that is written among

the living and is accordingly left shall be called holy shall be holy and shall be accepted of God

accordingly Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his

kingdom every thing that offends and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to

sanctification See 2Th_213 Eph_14

5 JAMISON ldquoleft in Zion mdash equivalent to the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Isa_42)

shall be called mdash shall be (Isa_96)

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

holy mdash (Isa_521 Isa_6021 Rev_2127)

written mdash in the book of life antitypically (Phi_43 Rev_35 Rev_178) Primarily in the register kept of Israelrsquos families and tribes

living mdash not ldquoblotted outrdquo from the registry as dead but written there as among the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo (Dan_121 Eze_139) To the elect of Israel rather than the saved in general the special reference is here (Joe_317)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd it will come to pass whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem holy will he be called all who are written down for life in Jerusalemrdquo The leading emphasis of the

whole v rests upon kadosh (holy) Whereas formerly in Jerusalem persons had been

distinguished according to their rank and condition without any regard to their moral worth

(Isa_31-3 Isa_310-11 cf Isa_325) so the name kadosh (holy) would now be the one chief

name of honour and would be given to every individual inasmuch as the national calling of Israel would now be realized in the persons of all (Exo_196 etc) Consequently the expression ldquohe shall be calledrdquo is not exactly equivalent to ldquohe shall berdquo but rather presupposes the latter as

in Isa_126 Isa_616 Isa_624 The term kadosh denotes that which is withdrawn from the

world or separated from it The church of the saints or holy ones which now inhabits Jerusalem is what has been left from the smelting and their holiness is the result of washing

The latter as Papenheim has shown in his Hebrew synonyms נהEשCר is interchanged with הנותר

involves the idea of intention viz ldquothat which has been left behindrdquo the former merely expresses the fact viz that which remains The character of this ldquoremnant of gracerdquo and the number of members of which it would consist are shown in the apposition contained in Isa_43 This apposition means something more than those who are entered as living in Jerusalem ie the population of Jerusalem as entered in the city register (Hofmann) for the verb with Lamed does not mean merely to enter as a certain thing but (like the same verb with

the accusative in Jer_2230) to enter as intended for a certain purpose The expression יGםלה

may either be taken as a noun viz ldquoto liferdquo (Dan_122) or as an adjective ldquoto the livingrdquo (a meaning which is quite as tenable cf Psa_6929 1Sa_2529) In either case the notion of predestination is implied and the assumption of the existence of a divine ldquobook of liferdquo (Exo_3232-33 Dan_121 cf Psa_13916) so that the idea is the same as that of Act_1348 ldquoAs many as were ordained to eternal liferdquo The reference here is to persons who were entered in the book of God on account of the good kernel of faith within them as those who should become partakers of the life in the new Jerusalem and should therefore be spared in the midst of the judgment of sifting in accordance with this divine purpose of grace For it was only through the judgment setting this kernel of faith at liberty that such a holy community as is described in the protasis which comes afterwards as in Psa_636-7 could possibly arise

7PULPIT ldquoHe that is left R he that remaineth Equivalent to the escaped of the preceding

verse Shall be called holy Strikingly fulfilled in the filet that the early Christians were known as titter

holy or κλητοὶ ἅγοι those called to be holy in the first age

(Act_913 Act_932 Act_941 Act_2610 Rom_17 1Co_12 2Co_11Eph_11 Php_11 etc)

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

Perhaps however more is meant than this The early Christians not only were called but were

holy Even Gibbon places the innocent lives of the early Christians among the causes of the conversion

of the Roman empire Every one that is written among the living A register of the living or heirs of

life is here assumed as in Exo_3232 Psa_6928 Dan_121 Rev_138 Rev_2127 etc It is a book

however out of which names may be blotted (Rev_35)

8 CALVIN ldquo3And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion He follows out the same statement

that when the pollution of the people shall have been washed away what remains will be pure and holy

The explanation given by some that they who shall be found written in the book of life will be called holy

appears to me to be too limited These two clauses ought rather to be read separately that all who shall

be left in Zion will be holy and that they who shall be left in Jerusalem will be written in the book of life

And this repetition is very frequent and customary among the Hebrews when the prophets set forth under

various titles the same gift of God Thus when it is said

There shall be salvation in Jerusalem

and forgiveness of sins in Zion (Joe_232)

both must be viewed as referring to the same subject but the grace of God is more fully extolled when

the cause of salvation is declared to consist in a free pardon (73)

In this passage the argument is of the same kind for he says that when the filth shall have been washed

away the Church will be clean and that all who shall have a place in her will truly be the elect of God

Now it is certain that this does not apply universally to the external Church into which many have been

admitted under the designation of believers who have nothing that corresponds to their profession and

who even exceed the small number of good people as the chaff exceeds the wheat in the barn And

although the captivity in Babylon had been employed by God as a sieve to remove a large portion of

chaff yet we know that the Church was still very far from being as pure as she ought to have been But

as at that time there was displayed in some measure a resemblance of that purity which will be truly and

perfectly manifested after that

the lambs shall have been separated from the kids

(Mat_2532)

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

when Isaiah speaks of those beginnings he includes as his custom is a period extending to the end

when God will bring to perfection that which he then began

It is the same thing which we see every day going forward for although chastisements and punishments

do not entirely remove all spots from the Church yet when spots have been washed out she recovers a

part of her purity Thus she suffers no loss by the strokes inflicted on her because while she is

diminished she is at the same time comforted by casting out many hypocrites just as it is only by casting

out the offensive or corrupt matter that a diseased body can be restored to health

Hence we obtain a most useful consolation for we are wont always to desire a multitude and to estimate

by it the prosperity of the Church On the contrary we should rather desire to be few in number and that

in all of us the glory of God may shine brightly But because our own glory leads us in another direction

the consequence is that we regard more a great number of men than the excellence of a few

We ought also to learn what is the true glory of a Church for she is truly prosperous when the saints have

a place in her though they be few and despised in the world yet they render her condition prosperous

and desirable But as it will never happen in the world that the saints alone will hold a place in the Church

we ought patiently to endure a mixture and in the meantime we ought to reckon it a most valuable

blessing when she makes a near approach to the cleanness which ought to be found in her

And they shall all be written among the living [or to life] in Jerusalem We have already said that by those

who are written in the book of life are meant the elect of God as if he had said that the profane multitude

which have only a name on the earth will be cut off The Prophet alludes to a mode of expression which

often occurs in the Scriptures as when Moses desires that he should be blotted out of the book of life

(Exo_3232) rather than that the whole nation should be destroyed Christ also says to the Apostles

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

(Luk_1020)

and Ezekiel says They shall not be written in the catalogue of my people (74) Now although God has no

other book than his eternal counsel in which he has predestinated us to salvation by adopting us for his

children yet this comparison is exceedingly suitable to our weakness because in no other way could our

mind conceive that Godrsquo flock is known to him so that none of the elect can ever be deprived of eternal

life Since therefore God has the names of his people in some manner written down the decree of

adoption by which their eternal blessedness is secured is called the book of life The reprobate though

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

for a time they appear to be on a level with the sons of God are excluded from this catalogue as we see

that they are cut off when he collects and separates his own people This matter will not be fully

completed before the last day but as the children of God by continually persevering when the reprobate

fall off have their election made sure it is no small consolation amidst their afflictions when the

temptations by which they are assailed do not cause them to fall from their steadfastness

(73) There is a mistake here In the verse quoted the prophet Joel does not speak of the forgiveness of

sins but our Author probably had his eye on the concluding clause and in the remnant whom the LORD

shall call as resembling a part of this verse and he that shall be left in Jerusalem and on this ground

adduced it as a parallel passage but was not successful in pointing out where the parallelism lies mdash Ed

(74) He appears to refer to Eze_139 where his version is And they shall not be written in the writing

that is in the catalogue of my people mdash Ed

4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of

Zion he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem

by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit

[b] of fire

1BARNES ldquoWhen the Lord - That is ldquoafterrdquo God has done this then all that are written among the living shall be called holy The prophet in this verse states the benefits of ldquoafflictionrdquo in purifying the people of God He had said in the previous verse that all who should be left in Zion should be called holy He here states that ldquopreviousrdquo to that the defilement of the people would be removed by judgment

Shall have washed away - The expression ldquoto washrdquo is often used to denote to ldquopurifyrdquo in any way In allusion to this fact is the beautiful promise in Zec_131 see the note at Isa_116

The filth - This word here refers to their ldquomoralrdquo defilement - their pride vanity haughtiness and perhaps to the idolatry and general sins of the people As the prophet however in Isa_316-23 had particularly specified the sins of the female part of the Jewish people the expression here probably refers especially to them and to the judgments which were to come upon them Isa_324 It is not departing from the spirit of this passage to remark that the church is purified and true religion is often promoted by Godrsquos humbling the pride and vanity of females A love of excessive ornament a fondness for dress and display and an exhibition of great gaiety often stand grievously in the way of pure religion

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

The daughters of Zion - see Isa_316

And shall have purged - This is synonymous with the expression ldquoto washrdquo It means to purify to remove as one removes blood from the hands by washing

Blood of Jerusalem - Crime blood-guiltiness - particularly the crime of ldquooppression crueltyrdquo and ldquorobberyrdquo which the prophet Isa_115 had charged on them

By the spirit of judgment - This refers doubtless to the ldquocalamitiesrdquo or ldquopunishmentrdquo that would come upon the nation principally to the Babylonian captivity After God should have humbled and reformed the nation by a series of judgments then they who were purified by them should be called holy The word ldquospiritrdquo here cannot be shown to be the Holy Spirit and especially as the Holy Spirit is not represented in the Scriptures as the agent in executing judgment It perhaps would be best denoted by the word ldquoinfluencerdquo or ldquopowerrdquo The word properly denotes ldquowind air motionrdquo Gen_81 Job_119 then ldquobreathing exhalation or breathrdquo Job_77 Psa_336 hence it means the ldquosoulrdquo and it means also Godrsquos ldquoinfluencerdquo or his putting forth his power and life-giving energy in animating and sustaining the universe and also as here his putting forth any influence in accomplishing his works and designs

And by the spirit of burning - ldquoFirerdquo is often in the Scriptures the emblem of punishment and also of purifying compare the note at Mat_311-12 see Mal_32-3 The Chaldee translates this lsquoby the word of judgment and by the word of consumingrsquo The reference is to the ldquopunishmentsrdquo which would be sent to purify the people ldquobeforerdquo the coming of the Messiah

2 CLARKE ldquoThe spirit of burning - Means the fire of Godrsquos wrath by which he will prove and purify his people gathering them into his furnace in order to separate the dross from the silver the bad from the good The severity of Godrsquos judgments the fiery trial of his servants Ezekiel (Eze_2218-22) has set forth at large after his manner with great boldness of imagery and force of expression God threatens to gather them into the midst of Jerusalem as into the furnace to blow the fire upon them and to melt them Malachi Mal_32 Mal_33 treats the same subject and represents the same event under the like images -

ldquoBut who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like the fire of the refiner And like the soap of the fullers And he shall sit refining and purifying the silver And he shall purify the sons of Levi And cleanse them like gold and like silver That they may be Jehovahrsquos ministers Presenting unto him an offering in righteousnessrdquo

This is an allusion to a chemist purifying metals He first judges of the state of the ore or adulterated metal Secondly he kindles the proper degree of fire and applies the requisite test and thus separates the precious from the vile

3 GILL ldquoWhen (n) the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion By Zion is meant the church of Christ in general his mystical body the general

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

assembly and church of the firstborn written in heaven Heb_1222 and by her daughters particular churches that go by the name of Christian churches who are called the reformed churches being such as are separated from the church of Rome among whom there is a great deal of filth and which will be removed in the latter times of the Gospel dispensation by which are designed all false doctrines such as are contrary to the deity and sonship of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit which derogate from the grace of God in election justification pardon and salvation which detract from the blood of Christ and deny his imputed righteousness and satisfaction and which exalt the power and free will of man and tend to impurity and licentiousness these will all be removed and the true doctrine which secures the glory of each divine Person asserts the free grace of God salvation by Christ the operations of the Spirit and influences and engages to holiness of life will take place This filth likewise includes all false worship all ordinances and institutions of men all corruptions in the ordinances of Christ baptism and the Lords supper all forms and modes of worship that are not of God all offices and officers except bishops and deacons which are of the man of sin and all immorality and profaneness and all wicked men even all that offend and do iniquity shall be taken out of Christs kingdom and churches there will be a thorough clearing of his floor of all filth dirt and chaff And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof that is of the daughters of Jerusalem particular churches of which the Jerusalem above is the mother for this is not to be understood literally of the city of Jerusalem nor of the blood of Christ and his servants shed in it purged away by the burning of it by the Romans but of the bloodshed and persecution in Protestant churches for a spirit of persecution has prevailed in some of them but this shall be no more seen in the latter day Christs kingdom will be a peaceable kingdom and of the peace of it there will be no end as there will be no war in a civil sense so neither in a religious sense all animosities disputes and contentions will cease see Isa_97 and much less will there be any effusion of blood on account of religion nor any that shed it as the Targum paraphrases the words and they that shed innocent blood in Jerusalem shall be removed out of it it is added by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning the Targum is by the word of judgment and by the word of consummation or perfection by the former is meant a judicious spirit which the Lord will give to his churches and ministers a set of ministers will be raised up having the everlasting Gospel which they shall freely fully and openly preach unto all men by which means the churches will be cleared of all false doctrines clear and distinct light will be given to all the preachers of the word the watchmen shall see eye to eye and all Zions children be taught of God and this shall be universal all the world over there will be a discerning of spirits of men and doctrines whether of God or not by which good doctrines will be distinguished from bad ones and good men from the wicked and this will be part of the judgment which will be given to the saints of the most High and will proceed from the Spirit of God who will be poured out in a plenteous manner to guide the churches into all truth as it is in Jesus and by the latter the spirit of burning is meant a burning flaming zeal a zeal according to knowledge against all false doctrine and worship and for the pure doctrine and worship of Christ which will appear in Christian ministers and churches and also in Christian magistrates who will hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and who will be stirred up by the preachers of the Gospel to pour out the plagues on the

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

antichristian states Rev_156 and when the fire of Gods word will burn up all the wood hay and stubble which the day will declare and then will be the trying winnowing time and those that are left will be holy unto the Lord (n) Or for the Lord shall wash away so Noldius in Ebr Concord Part p 88 No 428 which gives a reason why he that is left in Zion ampc shall be called holy because the Lord ampc so the

Septuagint version οτιεκπλυνει and Aben Ezra observes that אם if is used for כי because

4 HENRY ldquoThat God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it

Isa_44 Then the remnant shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away their

filth washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons washed it from within them

by purging out the wicked thing They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made

so Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb_910) typified by the reformation in the days of

Hezekiah and that after captivity to which this promise refers Observe 1 The places and

persons to be reformed Jerusalem though the holy city needed reformation and being the

holy city the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom The

daughters of Zion also must be reformed the women in a particular manner whom he had

reproved Isa_316 When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves

wondrously clean but being proud of them the prophet call them their filth for no sin is more

abominable to God than pride Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and

villages which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city and which needed reformation 2

The reformation itself The filth shall be washed away for wickedness is filthiness particularly

blood-shed for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki_2116) and which defiles the land more

than any other sin Note The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it When vicious customs and

fashions are suppressed and the open practice of wickedness is restrained the place is made

clean and sweet which before was a dunghill and this is not only for its credit and reputation

among strangers but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves 3 The author of

the reformation The Lord shall do it Reformation-work is Gods work if any thing be done to

purpose in it it is his doing But how By the judgment of his providence the sinners were

destroyed and consumed but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and

converted This is the work that is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the

Lord of hosts (Zec_46) working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and

upon magistrates ministers and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation

The Spirit herein acts (1) As a spirit of judgment enlightening the mind convincing the

conscience - as a spirit of wisdom guiding us to deal prudently (Isa_5213) - as a discerning

distinguishing Spirit separating between the precious and the vile (2) As a Spirit of burning

quickening and invigorating the afflictions and making men zealously affected in a good work

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

The Spirit works as fire Mat_311 An ardent love to Christ and souls and a flaming zeal against

sin will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from

Jacob See Isa_3215 Isa_3216

5 JAMISON ldquoWhen mdash that is After

washed mdash (Zec_131)

filth mdash moral (Isa_121-25)

daughters of Zion mdash same as in Isa_316

purged mdash purified by judgments destroying the ungodly correcting and refining the godly

blood mdash (Isa_115)

spirit mdash Whatever God does in the universe He does by His Spirit ldquowithout the handrdquo of man (Job_3420 Psa_10430) Here He is represented using His power as Judge

burning mdash (Mat_311 Mat_312) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies believers by the fire of affliction (Mal_32 Mal_33) dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1Co_313-15)

6 KampD ldquoldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged away the bloodguiltinesses of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of siftingrdquo ldquoWhenrdquo followed by a preterite (equivalent to a fut exact as in Isa_2413 Ges sect126 5) introduces the circumstance whose previous occurrence

would be the condition of all the rest The force of the future ya13diach (ldquoshall have purgedrdquo) is

regulated by that of the preterite ra13chatz as in Isa_611 for although when regarded simply by

itself as in Isa_1012 the future tense may suggest the idea of a future prefect it cannot have the force of such a future The double purification answers to the two scenes of judgment described in chapter 3 The filth of the daughters of Zion is the moral pollution hidden under their vain and coquettish finery and the murderous deeds of Jerusalem are the acts of judicial murder committed by its rulers upon the poor and innocent This filth and these spots of blood the Sovereign Ruler washes and purges away (see 2Ch_46) by causing His spirit or His breath to burst in upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem both male and female This breath is called ldquothe spirit of judgmentrdquo because it punishes evil and ldquothe spirit of siftingrdquo inasmuch as it

sweeps or cleans it away ערP is to be explained as in Isa_613 in accordance with Deu_136 (5

Eng Ver ldquoput the evil awayrdquo) and other passages such especially as Isa_1913 Isa_219 The rendering given in the Septuagint and Vulgate viz ldquoin the spirit of burningrdquo is founded upon the radical meaning of the verb which signifies literally to burn up and hence to clear away or destroy (see Comm on Job at Job_3112 Eng Tr) Nevertheless ldquoburningrdquo in connection with judgment is not definite enough since every manifestation of divine judgment is a manifestation of fire but it is not every judgment that has connected with it what is here implied - namely the salutary object of burning away or in other words of winnowing The ldquospiritrdquo is in both instances the Spirit of God which pervades the world not only generating and sustaining life but also at times destroying and sifting (Isa_3027-28) as it does in the case before us in which the imperishable glory described in Isa_35 is so prepared

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

7 PULPIT ldquoWhen the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isa_316-

24) Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned it must be put away There could be no

Jerusalem in which all should be called holy until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was

swept away Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp Isa_115 Isa_593) It is possible

however that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophets mind Ahaz burnt his

children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch_283) Manasseh did the same

(2Ch_336) and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiahs time

(see Psa_10638 Isa_575) By the spirit of burning or by a blast of burning ie a fiery blast which

shall destroy everything (comp Isa_131)

8 CALVIN ldquo4When the Lordshall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion He still follows

out the same statement for in consequence of its being generally believed that those calamities by which

the Church is diminished inflict upon her grievous injury the Prophet more zealously inculcates the

opposite opinion And now for the purpose of refuting that error he argues on the contrary that by this

method God washes away the filth and removes the corruptions of his Church

The blood of Jerusalem By blood I understand not only murders or other atrocious crimes but

defilements and stains of every description This metaphor is a reduplication ( ἀναδίπλωσις) by which he

repeats the same thing twice for having formerly spoken of pollution in general he now particularly

mentions blood as one kind of ceremonial uncleanness In short he shows the fruits which spring from

Godrsquo chastisements By them our spots are washed away When abounding iniquity is not punished we

become corrupted along with others and therefore it is necessary that God should earnestly warn us

and like a physician apply physic and the lancet and sometimes proceed to burning

By the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning Here judgment stands for uprightness from its

effect that is when they who had deeply fallen are restored to their former condition He adds the spirit

of burning by which the filth must be burned and consumed In this expression there are two things to be

observed first that the purification of the Church is accomplished by the Spirit and secondly that from

the effects which he produces the Spirit receives the name sometimes of judgment and sometimes

of burning as if he had said The judgment of the Spirit The burning of the Spirit Whenever therefore

expressions of this sort occur in Scripture ldquo Lord will do these things by the Spirit of truth of power of

righteousnessrdquo we may change the expression thus ldquo the truth by the power by the righteousness of

the Spiritrdquo In this manner doth the Spirit of God work in us from whom is both the beginning and the end

of our salvation From these terms therefore we ought to learn what are the chief effects which he

produces By his Spirit the Lord purifies our affections that he may renew and sanctify us The

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

word judgment explains what is of chief importance in the restoration of the Church that is when those

things which were confused or decayed are restored to good orderBurning points out the plan and

method by which the Lord restores the Church to her purity

9 PULPIT ldquoChrists purified Church

We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church as a whole which Christ has founded in the earth those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth that the gospel only completes its work when having renewed the individuals it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another The revelation which is made in Jesus Christ the Son of God is a revelation of our common sonship to God and so of our common brotherhood one with the other We can only reach to feel or to keel) the fall joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood The best brothers are the best sons I SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF CHRISTS CHURCH are given us in the passage now before us The Church is composed of those who are escaped of Israel those that is who have come out from the world and are separate who have escaped through the rescuings of Divine mercy who have been plucked as brands from the burning The bond uniting them together and securing upon them the Divine blessing is no personal peculiarity no extraordinary goodness or attainment of their own It is not that they differing from all others have been without sin but that the Lord has redeemed them from sin the mark of the Lords rescue must be upon them all They are the left ones the preserved ones the escaped ones the monuments of Divine mercy But the description should keep us from a serious mistake They are not merely delivered ones they are escaped ones that word conveying the idea that their own energy has been put forth their own will was in the escape The hand of the angel was indeed upon them but they also themselves hasted forth and fled from the spiritual Sodom II The text describes the CHARACTER OF CHRISTS CHURCH Shall be called holy The name thus put upon the Church is that of its most necessary and distinguishing quality The term does not imply that each member has attained this holiness but that each one has it in his heart as his great aim and makes it in his daily life his great pursuit God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness We are called to be saints and the central idea of holiness is not absolute purity but separation from sin and unto God separation from the world from self-seeking self-indulgence self-serving from all forms and features of evil and separation unto everything that is righteous and lovely and of good report This then is to be the one distinction of the members of Christs Churchmdashthe one thing which they are to maintain by their union together their consecration unto God to the doing of his will the choosing of what he will approve the following whithersoever he may lead The man who thus in heart and life is set on God is in his measure a holy man a saint The Church which in its collected life and labor is thus set on God is also in its measure a holy Church made up of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus The members of Christs Church may properly be described as a peculiar people Not odd but peculiar as an angel from heaven would be if he dwelt among men peculiar as Christ was when he went to and fro among the people of Judaea Nowadays we too often find the Church striving to rub away all the marks of her peculiarity The question asked by those who have been called to be saints ismdashHow near may we go towards the world To what extent may we yield to its enticements What of common earthly luxury and self-indulgence may we have without absolutely imperiling our eternal safety While the Church asks such questions even in secret and by its conduct and spirit rather than by its language it is proved to be fallenmdashand fallingmdashfrom the Divine standard Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Without holiness no man shall see the LordmdashRT Isa_44-6

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

Christs gracious dealings with his Church

In this passage they are presented under three forms

(1) as cleansings

(2) as guidings

(3) as preservings

I CHRIST IS EVER WORKING WITH A VIEW TO THE CLEANSING AND PURIFYING OF HIS CHURC

H so that it might be presented at last a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing

That work of cleansing demands more constant watchful-fullness care and toil than we are wont to

imagine It requires that the Church as a Church shall pass again and again under Divine chastenings

We recognize how much the Lord does for us as individuals by the perplexities and disappointments and

sorrows of our lives but we do not so readily or so fully admit that such experiences are also needed for

our Churches Uninterrupted prosperities as surely imperil the life of the Christian Church as of the

Christian man Indulgences in sin hurt Churches The neglect of Church duties the spirit of idle

contentment growing tendency to self-satisfaction disregard of holy living and the encroachments of the

worldly spirit all hurt and spoil the Church Under the influence of such things the light of the Church will

as surely wax dim as the candle in a foul atmosphere the witness of the Church will become fainter than

a whisper the unity of the Church will be broken up and its work will lie about it untouched The

descriptions of the seven Churches of Asia given in the Book of Revelation accurately present the

conditions into which Churches still fall Losing their first love Yielding to the enticements of the world

Weakened by false doctrine Deadened by the evil influence of unworthy members Proud of outward

prosperities Lukewarm in Christian service Surely the hope of the Church lies in thismdashChrist is willing to

be in the midst of her in the power of his cleansing correcting and restoring grace and he is actually

dealing with her as a spirit of purifying He is ever washing away the fast-gathering filth of the daughters

of Jerusalem and the blood of her sins from the midst thereof In accomplishing this work of cleansing it

may sometimes be needful that our Lord should deal severely The operations of his grace will sometimes

appear as a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning

II OUR LORD ALSO DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTI

ON He would have his people grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge reaching ever further into the

mysteries of revealed truth and making ever holier and wiser expressions of their renewed spirit in all the

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

spheres of their life and activity Journeying through the wilderness of this world through the wilderness

of truths and through the wilderness of Christian duties Christ is ever near now as he was in the olden

days to wandering Israel Then a cloud-pillar looking dark against the bright sky by day and flashing out

like flame against the dark sky by night kept Israel in mind of its ever-present Guide [Now without the

help of such outward symbols in inward manifestations to trustful hearts Christ reveals his presence as

our Shepherd leading us on now into scenes of conflict now up paths that are rough and stony and

sometimes into the green pastures and beside the still waters The power of a Church to hold fast the

truth once delivered unto the saints and yet to receive whatever new forms of truth God may be pleased

to unfold from his Word lies in this presence of Christ with his Church as a Teacher and Guide as a

spirit of judgment

III CHRIST DEALS WITH HIS CHURCH WITH A VIEW TO ITS PRESERVATION AND ITS DEFENCE

He not only cleanses and teaches he also keeps Upon all her glory shall be a defense We may

lovingly submit to all his chastenings and corrections for over all the glory of his cleansing shall be

his defense It shall never be destructive We shall be kept through it all We may wait on all Divine

teachings and go forth to all Christian duties perils may be round about us but over all the glory of

his guiding there shall be a defense God shall keep us safely His mountains are round about Jerusalem

from henceforth and even forevermore He does not mean by his dealings to remove the candlestick out

of his place only to make the flame burn clearer and brighter He is but keeping it safe until the great time

of removals when it may take its place and shine forever among the lamps of the heavenly sanctuarymdash

RT

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zionand

over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by

day and a glow of flaming fire by night over

everything the glory[c] will be a canopy

1BARNES ldquoAnd the Lord will create - The meaning of this verse and the next is that God would take his people into his holy care and protection The idea is expressed by images drawn in this verse from the protection which he afforded to the Israelites in their journeying from Egypt The word ldquocreaterdquo means here he will afford or furnish such a defense

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

Upon every dwelling-place - Upon all the habitations of his people that is they shall be secure and regarded as under his protection The word ldquouponrdquo refers to the fact that the pillar of cloud stood ldquooverrdquo the tabernacle in the wilderness as a symbol of the divine favor and presence So his protection should be ldquoonrdquo or ldquooverrdquo the houses of all his people compare Psa_924-6

Of mount Zion - compare the note at Isa_18

And upon her assemblies - Their convocations their sacred assemblies such as were called together on the Sabbath Lev_232 Num_2818 It refers here to their ldquofuturerdquo assemblies and therefore includes the Christian church assembled to worship God

A cloud and smoke by day - This refers to the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites in their journey in the wilderness Exo_1321 Exo_1420

By day - By day this appeared to them as a cloud by night as a pillar of fire Exo_1321-22 That is it was always conspicuous and could be seen by all the people A pillar of cloud could not have been seen by night and God changes the symbols of his presence and protection so that at all times his people may see them The meaning here is that as God gave to the Israelites a symbol of his presence and protection so he would be the protecter and defender of his people hereafter

For upon all the glory - Above all the ldquoglorious objectrdquo that is his church his people It is here called lsquothe gloryrsquo as being a glorious or an honorable object

A defense - This word properly means ldquoa covering a protectionrdquo from the verb ldquoto coverrdquo and means that God will protect or defend his people

2 CLARKE ldquoAnd the Lord will create - One MS the Septuagint and the Arabic have

yabi He shall bring the cloud already exists the Lord will bring it over This is a blessed יביא

promise of the presence of God in all the assemblies of his people

Every dwelling place ldquothe stationrdquo - The Hebrew text has every station but four MSS

(one ancient) omit כל col all very rightly as it should seem for the station was Mount Zion

itself and no other See Exo_1517 And the Septuagint Arabic and MSS add the same word כל

col before מקראה mikraeha probably right the word has only changed its place by mistake

mikrayeh ldquothe place where they were gathered together in their holy assembliesrdquo says Sal מקראיה

ben Melech But twenty-five of Kennicottrsquos MSS and twenty-two of De Rossirsquos fifty-three editions besides the Septuagint Syriac and Arabic have the word in the plural number

A cloud and smoke by day - This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of a cloud and of fire which attended the Israelites in their passage out of Egypt and to the glory that rested on the tabernacle Exo_1321 Exo_4038 The prophet Zechariah Zec_25 applies the same image to the same purpose -

ldquoAnd I will be unto her a wall of fire round about And a glory will I be in the midst of herrdquo

That is the visible presence of God shall protect her Which explains the conclusion of this

verse of Isaiah where the makkaph between כל col and כבוד cabod connecting the two words in

construction which ought not to be connected has thrown an obscurity upon the sentence and misled most of the translators

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

For upon all the glory shall be a defense - Whatever God creates he must uphold or it will fail Every degree of grace brings with it a degree of power to maintain itself in the soul

3 GILL ldquoAnd the Lord will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion That is on every particular church of Christ in Gospel times and especially in the latter day which are the dwelling places of Father Son and Spirit and of believers in Christ The word (o) used signifies a place well fitted up and prepared and established and settled and such will be the churches of Christ in the latter day glory they will be fitly framed together and built up a habitation for God through the Spirit they will be beautified and made glorious and will be established upon the top of the mountains and be tabernacles that shall not be taken down whose stakes and cords shall not be removed and broken Eph_221 and so will be sure dwellings and quiet resting places and happy will those be who will be the inhabitants of them since they will have the best of company the best of provisions and all health and prosperity Isa_3218 and upon her assemblies or her convocations (p) in allusion to the holy convocations and solemn assemblies of the Israelites at their festivals Lev_232 which are the churches of Christ as before consisting of men called by the grace of God with a holy calling called to be saints and so are an assembly of saints Psa_897 called by means of the Gospel as the Israelites were by the blowing of the trumpets to assemble together to hear the word and attend every part of divine worship Num_102 and as the invisible church is called Zion and the general assembly Heb_1222 so particular visible churches are called assemblies Ecc_1211 and which will be very numerous in the latter day and well attended A cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night alluding to the Lords going before the children of Israel in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and to their being upon and covering the tabernacle when it rested and also to the cloud and smoke that were upon Mount Sinai when the Lord was present there Exo_1320 and as a cloud was frequently a symbol of the divine Presence both in the Old and in the New Testament Exo_199 1Ki_810 so it may here signify that the presence of God with his churches in the latter day will be very manifest and remarkable he will be seen over them and be the glory in the midst of them Zec_25 and it may also denote the gracious protection of the churches by Christ from all their enemies as the cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they passed through the Red sea and secured them from them Exo_1419 as well as a cloud is refreshing and protecting from heat as Christ then will be from heat of every kind See Gill on Isa_46 And as the pillar of fire was to give light to the children of Israel and direct them in their passage through the wilderness in the night time so Christ will be the light of his people by the very great illuminations of his spirit and the clear preaching of the Gospel which will give both light and heat and from both which will arise such a bright shining light as shall drive away the night of affliction darkness desertion and sleepiness which shall precede this glorious day See Isa_601 and this will be all the Lords doing a work of his almighty power and therefore signified by a creation it will be a new strange and marvellous work wonderful in the eyes of the saints and in the eyes of the world that those who have been forsaken and hated should be made an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations Isa_6015 for upon all the glory shall he a defence the glory of the churches in the latter day will greatly consist in the presence of God and Christ in the pouring forth of the Spirit upon them in the purity of Gospel doctrine worship and discipline among them in the holiness of their lives

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

and conversation and in the peace harmony and unity that shall subsist with them and the defence of this glory will be partly the ministers of the Gospel in the pure administration of the word and ordinances as means but principally the Lord himself who will be a wall of fire about them and will appoint salvation as walls and bulwarks to them Zec_25

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacles shall be defended Isa_45

(1) This writ of protection refers to [1] Their dwelling places the tabernacles of their rest their own houses where they worship God alone and with their families That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it Pro_333 In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be Psa_11815 Note God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people of every one of them the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence Job 2323 26 [2] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship No mention is made of the temple for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another but all the congregations of Christians though but two or three met together in Christs name shall be taken under the special protection of heaven they shall be no more scattered no more disturbed nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper Note we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution

(2) This writ of protection is drawn up [1] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of

Israel when they marched through the wilderness God will give to the Christian church as real

proofs though not so sensible of his care of them as he then gave to Israel The Lord will again

create a cloud and smoke by day to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun and the

shining of a flaming fire by night to enlighten and warm the air which in the night is cold and

dark See Exo_1321 Neh_919 This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites

and the Egyptians Exo_1420 Note Though miracles have ceased yet God is the same to the

New Testament church that he was to Israel of old the very same yesterday today and for ever

[2] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams skins and badgers skins that was upon

the curtains of the tabernacle as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were

as dear to God as that tabernacle was Upon all the glory shall be a defense to save it from wind

and weather Note The church on earth has its glory Gospel truths and ordinances the

scriptures and the ministry are the churchs glory and upon all this glory there is a defence and

ever shall be for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church If God himself be the

glory in the midst of it he will himself be a wall of fire around about it impenetrable and

impregnable Grace in the soul is the glory of it and those that have it are kept by the power of

God as in a strong-hold 1Pe_15

5 JAMISON ldquocreate mdash The ldquonew creationrdquo needs as much Godrsquos creative omnipotence as the material creation (2Co_46 Eph_210) So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Isa_6517 Isa_6518)

upon mdash The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle as symbol of Godrsquos favor and presence (Exo_1321 Exo_1322 Psa_911) Both on individual families (ldquoevery dwellingrdquo) and on the

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

general sacred ldquoassembliesrdquo (Lev_232) The ldquocloudrdquo became a ldquofirerdquo by night in order to be seen by the Lordrsquos people

upon all the glory mdash ldquoupon the glorious wholerdquo namely the Lordrsquos people and sanctuary [Maurer] May it not mean ldquoUpon whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the previous clause) shall rest there shall be a defenserdquo The symbol of His presence shall ensure also safety So it was to Israel against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exo_1419 Exo_1420) So it shall be to literal Jerusalem hereafter (Zec_25) Also to the Church the spiritual ldquoZionrdquo (Isa_3218 Isa_3315-17 Heb_1222)

tabernacle mdash Christrsquos body (Joh_114) ldquoThe word lsquotabernacledrsquo (Greek for lsquodweltrsquo) among usrdquo (Joh_221 Heb_82) It is a ldquoshadow from the heatrdquo and ldquorefuge from the stormrdquo of divine wrath against manrsquos sins (Isa_254) Heat and storms are violent in the East so that a portable tent is a needful part of a travelers outfit Such shall be Godrsquos wrath hereafter from which the ldquoescaped of Israelrdquo shall be sheltered by Jesus Christ (Isa_2620 Isa_2621 Isa_322)

covert mdash answering to ldquodefenserdquo (Isa_45) The Hebrew for defense in Isa_45 is ldquocoveringrdquo

the lid of the ark or mercy seat was named from the same Hebrew word caphar the propitiatory for it being sprinkled with blood by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement covered the people typically from wrath Jesus Christ is the true Mercy Seat on whom the Shekinah rested the propitiatory or atonement beneath whom the law is kept as it was literally within the ark and man is covered from the storm The redeemed Israel shall also be by union with Him a tabernacle for Godrsquos glory which unlike that in the wilderness shall not be taken down (Isa_3820)

6 KampD ldquoldquoAnd Jehovah creates over every spot of Mount Zion and over its festal assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of flaming fire by night for over all the glory comes a canopyrdquo Just as Jehovah guided and shielded Israel in the days of the redemption from Egypt in a smoke-cloud by day and a fire-cloud by night which either moved in front like a pillar or floated above them as a roof (Num_1414 etc) the perpetuation of His presence at Sinai (Exo_199 Exo_1916) so would Jehovah in like manner shield the Israel of the final redemption which would no longer need the pillar of cloud since its wanderings would be over but only the cloudy covering and such a covering Jehovah would create as the praet

consec וברא) (ldquoand He createsrdquo) distinctly affirms The verb ba13ra13h always denotes a divine and

miraculous production having its commencement in time for even the natural is also supernatural in its first institution by God In the case before us however the reference is to a fresh manifestation of His gracious presence exalted above the present course of nature This

manifestation would consist by day in ldquoa cloudrdquo and as the hendiadys ldquocloud and smokerdquo (ie

cloud in form and smoke in substance) distinctly affirms a smoke-cloud not a watery cloud like those which ordinarily cover the sky and by night in a fiery splendour not merely a lingering fiery splendour like that of the evening sky but as the words clearly indicate a flaming

brightness (leha13ba13h ) and therefore real and living fire The purpose of the cloud would not only

be to overshadow but also to serve as a wall of defence against opposing influences

(Note The cloud derived its name ‛a13na13n not from the idea of covering but from that of

coming to meet one The clouds come towards the man who gazes at them inserting themselves between him and the sky and thus forcing themselves upon his notice instead of

the sky hence the visible outer side of the vault of heaven is also called ‛anan (plur ‛ana13n) just as the same word is used to denote the outermost portion of the branches or foliage of a

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

tree which is the first to strike the eye (in contradistinction to the inner portions which are not so easily seen seven if visible at all))

and the fire would not only give light but by flaming and flashing would ward off hostile powers But above all the cloud and fire were intended as signs of the nearness of God and His satisfaction In the most glorious times of the temple a smoke-cloud of this kind filled the Holy of holies and there was only one occasion - namely at the dedication of Solomons temple - on which it filled the whole building (1Ki_810) but now the cloud the smoke of which moreover

would be turned at night into flaming fire would extend over every spot (ma13con a more poetical

word for ma13kom) of Mount Zion and over the festal assemblies thereon The whole mountain

would thus become a Holy of holies It would be holy not only as being the dwelling-place of

Jehovah but as the gathering-place of a community of saints ldquoHer assembliesrdquo (mikra13eha13) points back to Zion and is a plural written defectively (at least in our editions)

(Note Such codices and ancient editions as Soncino (1488) Brescia (1494) and many

others have the word with the yod of the plural)

- as for example in Jer_198 There is no necessity to take this noun in the sense of ldquomeeting hallsrdquo (a meaning which it never has anywhere else) as Gesenius Ewald Hitzig and others have done since it may also signify ldquothe meetingsrdquo though not in an abstract but in a concrete sense

(ecclesiae)

(Note It is doubtful whether the form (מפעל) מפעל is ever strictly a nomen actionis kal

(Ges sect84 14) Its meaning seems rather to be always concrete even in Arabic where mena13m

signifies a sleeping-place sleeping-time or a dream but never sleep or sleeping (like inse

Heb shena13h or naum Heb num))

The explanatory clause ldquofor over all the glory (comes) a canopyrdquo admits of several interpretations Dr Shegg and others take it in the general sense ldquofor defence and covering are coming for all that is gloriousrdquo Now even if this thought were not so jejune as it is the word

Chuppa13h would not be the word used to denote covering for the sake of protection it signifies

rather covering for the sake of beautifying and honouring that which is covered Chuppa13h is the name still given by the Jews to the wedding canopy ie a canopy supported on four poles and carried by four boys under which the bride and bridegroom receive the nuptial blessing - a meaning which is apparently more appropriate even in Psa_196 and Joe_216 than the

ordinary explanation thalamus to torus Such a canopy would float above Mount Zion in the form

of a cloud of smoke and blaze of fire (There is no necessity to take Chuppa13h as a third pers pual

since היהV which follows immediately afterwards in Isa_46 may easily be supplied in thought)

The only question is whether Col Ca13bod signifies ldquoevery kind of gloryrdquo or according to Psa_396 Psa_4514 ldquopure gloryrdquo (Hofmann Stud u Krit 1847 pp 936-38) The thought that Jerusalem would now be ldquoall gloryrdquo as its inhabitants were all holiness and therefore that this shield would be spread out over pure glory is one that thoroughly commends itself but we nevertheless prefer the former as more in accordance with the substantive clause The glory which Zion would now possess would be exposed to no further injury Jehovah would acknowledge it by signs of His gracious presence for henceforth there would be nothing glorious in Zion over which there would not be a canopy spread in the manner described shading and yet enlightening hiding defending and adorning it

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

7 MACLAREN ldquoTHE PERPETUAL PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one there are to be as many pillars as there are lsquoassembliesrsquo in the new era Is it straining the language too much to find significance in that difference Instead of the formal unity of the Old Covenant there is a variety which yet is a more vital unity Is there not a hint here of the same lesson that is taught by the change of the one golden lamp-stand into the seven which are a better unity because Jesus Christ walks among them

The heart of this promise thus cast into the form of ancient experiences but with significant variations is that of true communion with God

That communion makes those who have it glorious

That communion supplies unfailing guidance

A man in close fellowship with God will have wonderful flashes of sagacity even about small practical matters The gleam of the pillar will illumine conscience and shine on many difficult dark places The lsquosimplicityrsquo of a saintly soul will often see deeper into puzzling contingencies than the vulpine craftiness of the lsquoprudentrsquo The darker the night the brighter the guidance

That communion gives a defence

The pillar came between Egypt and Israel and kept the foe off the timid crowd of slaves Whatever forms our enemies take fellowship with God will invest us with a defence as protean as our perils The same cloud is represented in the context as being lsquoa pavilion for a shadow in the heat and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rainrsquo

8 PULPIT ldquoUpon every dwelling-place (over the whole habitation Revised Version) Mr Cheyne

translates upon the whole site and takes the site to be especially the temple Makon seems certainly

never to be used for anything but Gods dwelling-place (Exo_1517 1Ki_813 1Ki_839

etc 2Ch_62 2Ch_630

etc Ezr_268Psa_3314 Psa_8914 Psa_972 Psa_1045 Isa_184 Dan_811) Perhaps

however every dwelling-place of God ie every Christian Church is intended On these and on all

Christian assemblies there will rest a new presence of Godmdashone which he will have created recalling

that of the pillar of fire and of cloud which rested in the wilderness on the Jewish tabernacle

(Exo_339 Exo_4034-38 etc) A cloud and smoke by day The pillar of the cloud is never said in the

Pentateuch to have been one of smoke but Sinai smoked when God descended on it

(Exo_1918 Exo_2018) and the psalmist speaks of a smoke as issuing out of Gods nostrils

(Psa_188) In the poetry of Isaiah smoke no less than cloud symbolizes Gods presence

(see Isa_64) Upon all the glory shall be a defense rather as in the margin a covering Over all the

glory of Zion its purged temple and its purified assemblies the presence of God shall rest like a canopy

protecting it

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

Divine protection

In strong poetic terms the prophet intimatesmdash

I THAT GOD TAKES A DIVINE PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE We know from other Scriptures that the

Lords portion is his people (Exo_195 Deu_329 Psa_474) Here the people of God are spoken of as

the glory of the Lord (Isa_45) There are aspects in which it must appear to us the extreme point of

Divine condescension to use such terms of his redeemed ones But there are other aspects in which we

can see that they are not altogether inappropriate Gods ancient people were and his regenerated

children are the witnesses and instances of his glorious redemption Redeemed from political or spiritual

bondage they rejoice in a blessed freedom raised from dark depths of misery and despair they sing the

psalms of joy and hope purged from vanity and folly they walk in the ascending path of heavenly

wisdom

II THAT GOD PROMISES HIS PEOPLE HIS DIVINE PROTECTION Upon all the glory shall be a

defense As in the old desert days the tribes of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud by day and all the

night by a pillar of fire so shall the Divine Leader guide his people in the path which is still before them

(Isa_45) From the burning heat and from the pelting storm there shall be found a covert for those who

put their trust in him Gods promised defense extends

1 To his people in their various relationships whether gathered in the family dwelling-place or met in

their sacred assemblies or we may add whether journeying in that solitariness of spirit with which we

must all be familiar (Gal_65) along the path of lifemdashthat is in their domestic ecclesiastical and

individual relations

2 To his people in the checkered experiences of their career God will be their defense from

(1) the perils peculiar to prosperity (pride selfishness contemptuousness worldliness etc)mdashthere shall

be a shadow in the daytime from the heat and

(2) the dangers incident to adversity (sullenness rebelliousness moroseness despair etc)mdashthere shall

be a covert from storm and from rain

III THAT THESE DIVINE PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL ON OUR CONTINUED OBEDIENCE AND B

ELIEVING PRAYER God speaks peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly (Psa_858

see Eze_3313) The Divine promise proved good in this particular instance just so long and so far as the

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

conditions which were implied were faithfully observed Gods promises are exceeding great and

precious and we may live thereby if we will But we must not fail

(1) to walk in the way of his commandments nor

(2) to plead his Word in expectant prayer if we do we shall fail to enjoy in its fullness the defense of the

almighty armsmdashC

9 CALVIN ldquo5And Jehovah will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion As if he had said that ldquo

will not be a corner of Mount Zion on which the grace of God does not shinerdquo Dwelling-

place and assembly I understand to mean the same thing for assembly does not here denote

a congregation but the place where men assemble With the design to express a full blessing he alludes

to what Moses relates when the Lord delivered the people from Egyptian bondage and sent

pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night

(Exo_1321)

It was customary with the prophets in describing any remarkable blessing to remind them of that

deliverance from Egypt as an extraordinary work of God for on that occasion God made a remarkable

display of the boundless treasures of his grace in establishing his Church and left out no proof of his

kindness in order to make known the happiness of that nation But what chiefly deserved to be

commemorated was that by the covering of a cloud by day he protected them from excessive heat and

that by night a pillar of fire went before them to prevent them from wandering or going astray

It amounts to this that when God shall bring back the Church from the captivity in Babylon the

deliverance will be of a kind not less striking and magnificent than when at an early period the nation

went out of Egypt Not that during their journey from Babylon to Judea they would be accompanied as in

the wilderness by acloud and a pillar of fire but that he would display his grace and kindness by other

methods not less remarkable Just as if we were to say at the present day ldquo will enlighten us by his Spirit

of fire He will give cloven tongues (Act_23) to spread his Gospel throughout the whole worldrdquo Such

expressions ought not to be understood literally as if the Spirit would be sent down from heaven under

that visible sign but by reminding them of the miracle it would lead believers to expect that the same

power of God which the Apostles formerly experienced will now be displayed in restoring the Church

Add to this that the Prophet by this mode of expression points out an uninterrupted continuance of

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

blessing as if he had said ldquo only will God for a moment stretch out his hand for your deliverance but as

he always accompanied your fathers in the wilderness so likewise he will deliver and protect you to the

endrdquo

For on all the glory shall be a defense This is connected with what he formerly said that

the bud or branch which should afterwards spring up would be for glory It is as if he had said ldquo all who

shall bear the proof and marks of their deliverancerdquo Perhaps also he alludes to the passage in which it is

related that the destroying angel passed over the houses which were marked without doing them any

injury (Exo_1223) for as the sprinkling of blood at that time protected and saved them so Isaiah

promises that believers when God has marked them will be safe This must be carefully observed for

we are reminded that we shall not become partakers of the grace of God in any other way than by

bearing his image and by his glory shining in us

10 CHARLES SIMEON ldquoIsa_45 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and

upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all

the glory shall be a defence

THE Church of God is frequently represented as hated both by men and devils and exposed to their

united assaults But it is protected by an invisible and almighty Agent who keeps it alive as a spark in the

midst of a tempestuous ocean His watchful eye is ever over it for good He considers it as his glory and

will therefore himself be its defence This is promised to the Church in the words before us in which we

are told

I The Church is Godrsquos glorymdash

Mount Zion is a name given to the Gospel Church [Note Heb_1222] and a strict attention to the text will

shew that it is here considered as ldquothe gloryrdquo of God [Note ldquoThe gloryrdquo evidently relates to the ldquodwelling-

platesrdquo ampc before mentioned] by which term its members also are expressly designated by God himself

[NoteIsa_4613]

1 The various ldquodwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo are his glorymdash

[Wherever Christianity has gained its full ascendant over any family God will most assuredly be

worshipped and served by every member of it The master will say with Joshua ldquoAs for me and my house

we will serve the Lordrdquo and in order to carry this resolution into effect he will like Abraham command

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

his children and his household after him [Note Jos_2415 Gen_1819] His house will be a temple in

which he himself officiates as priest and as far as he can prevail he will cause every heart to be an altar

to the Lord that they may daily offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise Such a family will be like a

beautiful garden filled with ldquotrees of righteousness of the Lordrsquos planting that he may be glorified

[Note Isa_613]rdquo and while God calls himself ldquotheir Godrdquo he will dignify them with the exalted appellation

of ldquohis peoplerdquo and ldquohis servants in whom he will be glorified [Note Jer_311 Isa_493]rdquo]

2 The ldquoassemblies of Mount Zionrdquo also are his glorymdash

[As the Israelites came up thrice every year to worship God at Jerusalem so on every Sabbath do his

people assemble for the exercise of social and public worship In those holy convocations does every one

speak of his glory [Note Psa_299] and his ministers in particular who are ldquothe glory of Christ

[Note 2Co_823]rdquo proclaim the riches of his grace and mercy In these God vouchsafes his more

peculiar presence for ldquohe loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob

[Note Psa_872]rdquo ldquoHe comes down as in the days of old [Note Exo_4034-35 2Ch_71] and fills the

place with his gloryrdquo he pours out his Spirit in a more abundant measure and by communicating the

blessings of grace and peace he ldquoglorifies the house of his glory [Note Isa_607]rdquo]

While they are thus highly esteemed by God they are favoured with his peculiar care for

II God is his Churchrsquos guardianmdash

The Israelites when coming out of Egypt had a cloud with them as a symbol of the Divine presence

[Note Exo_1321-22 Neh_919] This was intended both to guide them in their journeys and to protect

them from their enemies And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be

1 Her guidemdash

[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys moving or resting when it was proper for them to

move or rest [Note Exo_4034-38] Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church Though he will not

interpose in the same visible manner yet he will manifest the same attention to its interests and guide it

with the same unerring hand Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care he will regard

ldquothe dwelling-places of Mount Zionrdquo no less than ldquoher assembliesrdquo and consult the welfare of the meanest

individual as much as of the largest community [Note Isa_662] Does any one look up to him for

direction He says ldquoThe meek he will guide in judgment the meek he will teach his way

[Note Psa_259]rdquo ldquoHe shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

[Note 1Jn_220]rdquo and so plainly shall his path be marked that ldquothough a fool he shall not err therein

[Note Isa_358]rdquo Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty He shall hear a voice behind him saying ldquoThis

is the way walk ye in it [Note Isa_3021]rdquo And though his path may often appear dubious yet he shall

find at last that he has been ldquoled in the right way to the city of habitation [Note Psa_1077]rdquo]

2 Her defencemdash

[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their

enemies while it gave light to them [Note Exo_1419-20] Thus will God give salvation for walls and

bulwarks to his Church [Note Isa_261] No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper

[Note Isa_5417] God will not only go before it but be its rear-ward [Note Isa_588] nor shall the gates

of hell ever prevail against it [Note Mat_1618] Never for one moment will he intermit his care

[Note Isa_273] his protection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains [Note Psa_1252] or an

impassable river [Note Isa_3321] or a wall of fire [Note Zec_25] And its preservation shall be seen to

be evidently his work as much as the ldquocreationrdquo itself so that all who behold it shall say This hath god

wrought [Note Job_129 Isa_414]]

3 Her glorymdash

[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people They were feared

on this account so that ldquoall the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them

[Note Jos_29 Jos_211]rdquo as also terror was diffused through the whole camp of the Philistines

[Note 1Sa_47] Thus it is with the Church at this time it is the presence of God in it that renders it the

joy of the whole earth [Note Psa_482] It is Godrsquos glory that is seen upon it which brings kings to the

brightness of its rising [Note Isa_601-3] There is often a power in the ordinances that evidences the

presence of the Deity and constrains his most inveterate enemies to submit themselves to him and to

unite themselves to his Church [Note 1Co_1425] And it will be in consequence of that more abundant

manifestation of his presence which shall be vouchsafed to the Church at a future period that all the

nations of the earth shall seek with eagerness an interest in its privileges and a participation of its

blessings [Note Zec_823] Persons of all ranks from the lofty ldquofir-treerdquo to the humble ldquoboxrdquo shall come

together to the Church of which it will be said ldquoThe Lord is thine everlasting light and thy God thy

glory [Note Isa_6013-16 Isa_6016]rdquo]

To improve this subject let me entreat you

1 To give yourselves up to God as his peoplemdash

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

[The whole of this subject refers as you have seen to Israel as Godrsquos redeemed people To such alone

were these promises made and by such alone were they experienced To the Egyptians the cloud was

as darkness whilst to the Israelites it was a pillar of light and the sea which afforded to Israel a path of

safety was to the Egyptians without exception a fatal grave So to those only who give up themselves to

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the blessings of redemption fully known to them the Gospel is ldquoa

savour of life unto life whilst to others it is only a savour of death unto deathrdquo to them is Christ a

sanctuary whilst to others he is only a stumbling-block and a rock of of offencerdquo What then shall I say

unto you This I will say Imitate the Israelites on the occasion referred to Cast off your bonds and put

yourselves under the guidance of ldquothat Prophet whom Jehovah has raised up unto you like unto Mosesrdquo

Go forth from Egypt in dependence on your God rely upon him for every thing during the time of your

sojourning in this dreary wilderness and look forward to your possession of the promised land as your

sure and abiding portion ldquoFollow the Lord fullyrdquo as Joshua and Caleb did and rest assured that like

them you shall in due season enjoy the promised inheritance]

2 To glory in God as your Godmdash

[Tell me one promise that ever failed those who trusted fully in their God If Joshua after forty years of

conflict could make this a matter of appeal to Israel be sure that none of you shall ever be disappointed

of your hope With Jehovah for your guide and defence you have no ground for fear for ldquoif God be for

you who can be against yourdquo Your enemies may be great in might and many in number but ldquothey are

all but bread for yourdquo In your conflicts with them you may endure much but your trials shall be only as

ldquothe spirit of judgment and of burning to purge and to purify you from your filth [Note ver 4]rdquo and to call

forth those exertions from God which he has promised to you Whatever difficulty obstruct your way say

to it as God has taught you ldquoWho art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a

plainrdquo Only ldquobe strong in faith giving glory to Godrdquo ldquoOnly hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of

your hoperdquo and ldquonot so much as one jot or tittle of Godrsquos word shall ever failrdquo]

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the

day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and

rain

1BARNES ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle - The reference here is to the ldquotabernaclerdquo or sacred ldquotentrdquo that God directed Moses to make in the wilderness The image of the cloudy pillar mentioned in the previous verses seems to have suggested to the mind of the prophet the idea of the tabernacle over which that pillar rested The principal idea here is however not a tabernacle as a symbol of the divine protection or of divine worship but of a place of refuge from a tempest that is that they should be ldquosaferdquo under his protection In Eastern countries they dwelt chiefly in tents The idea is therefore that God would furnish them a place of shelter a hiding-place from the storm

In the daytime from the heat - The heat in those regions was often very intense particularly in the vast plains of sand The ldquoideardquo here is therefore one that is very striking It means that God would furnish to them a refuge that would be like the comfort derived from a tent in a burning desert

For a place of refuge - A place to which to flee in the midst of a storm as a tent would be

A covert - A place of retreat a safe place to retire to The figure used here is not unfrequently employed in the prophets Isa_254 Isa_322 In eastern countries this idea would be very striking While traversing the burning sands of a desert exposed to the rays of a tropical sun nothing could be more grateful than the cool shadow of a rock Such figures are therefore common in oriental writings to denote protection and agreeable shelter from calamities see the note at Isa_322 The idea in these verses is

(1) That God will be a defender of his people

(2) That he will protect their families and that his blessing will be upon their dwelling-places compare the note at Isa_5921

(3) They may expect his blessing on their religious assemblies

(4) God through the promised Messiah would be a refuge and defense

The sinner is exposed to the burning wrath of God and to the storms of divine vengeance that shall beat forever on the naked soul in hell From all this burning wrath and from this raging tempest the Messiah is the only refuge Through him God forgives sin and united to him by faith the soul is safe There are few images more beautiful than this Soon the storms of divine vengeance will beat on the sinner God will summon him to judgment But then he who has fled to the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - as the refuge of his soul shall be safe He shall have nothing to fear and in his arms shall find defense and salvation

2 CLARKE ldquoA tabernacle - In countries subject to violent tempests as well as to intolerable heat a portable tent is a necessary part of a travellerrsquos baggage for defense and shelter And to such tents the words of the text make evident allusion They are to be met with in every part of Arabia and Egypt and in various other places in the East

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

3 GILL ldquoAnd there shall be a tabernacle Christ who tabernacled in our nature and is the minister of the true tabernacle which God pitched and not man who will be spiritually present in the word and ordinances where the shepherds pitch their tents and who will be that to his people as shepherds tents are to them to which the allusion is for a shadow in the day time from the heat from the heat of a fiery law which works wrath from the flaming sword of justice which calls for vengeance from the wrath of God which is poured forth like fire from Satans temptations compared to fiery darts and from the violence of persecution for there will be no more after the last struggle of the beast and the slaying of the witnesses and for a place of refuge until the indignation be over and past as Christ is a refuge for sensible sinners to flee unto for safety from avenging justice and the wrath of God so he is a place of security and has his chambers of safety for saints from all dangers and from every enemy Isa_2620 and for a covert from storm and from rain from the blast of the terrible ones the antichristian powers which will be as a storm against a wall Isa_254 this will be the hour of temptation which will come upon and try them that dwell upon the earth from which Christ will preserve his faithful ones Rev_310

4 HENRY ldquoTheir tabernacle shall be a defence to them Isa_46 Gods tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Psa_275) but when that is taken down they shall not want a covert the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints God himself will be their hiding-place (Psa_327) they shall be at home in him Psa_919 He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa_322) and his name a strong tower Pro_1810 He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime but a covert from storm and rain Note In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers

5 PULPIT ldquoAnd there shall be etc rather and it (ie the canopy) shall be a tabernacle or bower a

shelter from the suns heat by day and from storm and rain both by day and night The metaphors need

no explanation

6 KampD ldquoThus would Zion be a secure retreat from all adversities and disastersAnd it will be a booth for shade by day from the heat of the sun and for a refuge and covert from storm

and from rainrdquo The subject to ldquowill berdquo is not the miraculous roofing for a13na13n (cloud) is

masculine and the verb feminine and there would be no sense in saying that a Chuppa13h or

canopy would be a succa13h or booth Either therefore the verb contains the subject in itself and

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

the meaning is ldquoThere will be a boothrdquo (the verb ha13ya13h being used in a pregnant sense as in Isa_156 Isa_2313) or else Zion (Isa_45) is the subject We prefer the latter Zion or Jerusalem would be a booth that is to say as the parallel clause affirms a place of security and

concealment (mistor which only occurs here is used on account of the alliteration with machseh

in the place of sether which the prophet more usually employs viz in Isa_2817 Isa_322) ldquoBy

dayrdquo (yoma13m which is construed with לצל in the construct state cf Eze_3016) is left intentionally without any ldquoby nightrdquo to answer to it in the parallel clause because reference is made to a place of safety and concealment for all times whether by day or night Heat storm and rain are mentioned as examples to denote the most manifold dangers but it is a singular

fact that rain which is a blessing so earnestly desired in the time of Choreb ie of drought and burning heat should also be included At the present day when rain falls in Jerusalem the whole city dances with delight Nevertheless rain ie the rain which falls from the clouds is not paradisaical and its effects are by no means unfrequently destructive According to the archives of Genesis rain from the clouds took the place of dew for the first time at the flood when it fell in a continuous and destructive form The Jerusalem of the last time will be paradise restored and there men will be no longer exposed to destructive changes of weather In this prediction the close of the prophetic discourse is linked on to the commencement This mountain of Zion roofed over with a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night is no other than the mountain of the house of Jehovah which was to be exalted above all the mountains and to which the nations would make their pilgrimage and this Jerusalem so holy within and all glorious without is no other than the place from which the word of Jehovah was one day to go forth into all the world But what Jerusalem is this Is it the Jerusalem of the time of final glory awaiting the people of God in this life as described in Rev 11 (for notwithstanding all that a spiritualistic and rationalistic anti-chiliasm may say the prophetic words of both Old and New Testament warrant us in expecting such a time of glory in this life) or is it the Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth described in Rev_201-15 21 The true answer is ldquoBoth in onerdquo The prophets real intention was to depict the holy city in its final and imperishable state after the last judgment But to his view the state beyond and the closing state here were blended together so that the glorified Jerusalem of earth and the glorified Jerusalem of heaven appeared as if fused into one It was a distinguishing characteristic of the Old Testament to represent the closing scene on this side the grave and the eternal state beyond as a continuous line having its commencement here The New Testament first drew the cross line which divides time from eternity It is true indeed as the closing chapters of the Apocalypse show that even the New Testament prophecies continue to some extent to depict the state beyond in figures drawn from the present world with this difference however that when the line had once been drawn the demand was made of which there was no consciousness in the Old Testament that the figures taken from this life should be understood as relating to the life beyond and that eternal realities should be separated from their temporal forms

7CALVIN ldquo6And a covering in the day-time shall be a shadow from the heat Though the Prophet

confirms what we have already noticed that God will be our perpetual guide till he has brought us to the

end of our journey yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities

Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely when they escape

from one danger they meet with another But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide

the shadow of the Lord will of itself be sufficient for it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can

injure or do them any harm Although therefore various calamities and afflictions surround us on every

side still the Lord promises that he will assist us as it is said in the Psalm

The sun shall not scorch thee by day nor the moon by night for the Lord will preserve thee from all evil

(Psa_1216)

Nothing more is necessary than that we follow our calling and perform our duty faithfully It belongs

equally to the condition of the good and of the bad that they suffer many inconveniencies but bad men

have no refuge no place of concealment in which they may hide themselves and they must be utterly

overwhelmed But blessed is the condition of the godly for although they endure heat and cold still they

have a safe refuge in God But that glory of which we formerly spoke must shine in us otherwise we shall

have no share in these things and if we carry about with us Godrsquo mark whenever we shall be assailed by

a tempest let us rest assured that he will be our protection

Footnotes

a Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

b Isaiah 44 Or the Spirit

c Isaiah 45 Or over all the glory there

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible New International Versionreg NIVreg Copyright copy 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica

IncregUsed by permission All rights reserved worldwide