Isaiah 27

Isaiah 27:1

SONG OF THE VINEYARD"In that day"projects us immediately into the future. As we have said, this is a technical expression that refers to the Day of the Lord. It is a day that begins, as the Hebrew day did, with the evening, the time of the Great Tribulation, and it goes on into the millennial Kingdom. I personally feel that it goes on into eternity, as that will be a sunrise that will never end. “The LORD with his sore and great and strong sword.” The Lord’s sword is the Word of God. In describing the coming of the Lord Jesus, Rev_1:16 says, “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” With that sword He will smite the nations. An amillennialist will say, “You say you take the Bible literally. Is this a literal sword?” Well, I’ve discovered that the tongue is really a sharp thing. And Heb_4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword …” I take it that the Word of God is meant here. It is by His Wordthat’s all He needs. By His Word He created all things, and by His Word shall He judge. Whom is He going to judge? “Leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent.” In that day, at the beginning of the Kingdom, the Lord Jesus will bring judgment upon the serpent, leviathan, who is Satan. In Rev_20:1-3 we are told that Satan will be shut up in the bottomless pit for one thousand years. In Rev_12:9 we read, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Job_41:15 says of him, “His scales are his pride …” The scales are for his protection, and Satan thinks he is invulnerable, that he cannot be touched. This is his pride. He doesn’t realize, even today, as I understand it, that he can be judged. He probably thinks he is beyond the judgment of almighty God. There are a great many people today who think that there is no judgment coming. They laugh at the idea. That is the thinking of Satan, my friend. F. Delitzsch has suggested that “the piercing serpent,” or literally, “swift-fleeing serpent,” represents the Tigris River and thereby the nation of Assyria. The “crooked serpent” represents the winding Euphrates and thereby the nation of Babylon. “The dragon that is in the sea” represents the Nile River and thereby the nation of Egypt. This would not militate against “leviathan” meaning Satan, but would enforce that interpretation since Satan was the power behind these kingdoms.

Isaiah 27:2

Actually, I believe that chapter 27 begins with verse Isa_27:2 and that verse Isa_27:1 belongs with the previous chapter. However, that is a technical point with which I will not get involved. There is a change of subject at this point. “In that day sing ye unto her.” This is the Millennium, and we all can sing noweven I will be able to sing. “A vineyard of red wine” speaks of abundance, fruitfulness, bounty, and joy. What a contrast this is to Isaiah 5! In Isaiah 5 we had the song of the vineyard, but it was a dirge. That vineyard was Israel, and God was going to bring judgment because she hadn’t brought forth fruit. Here we are in the Millennium, and there is an abundance of fruit. Why?

Isaiah 27:3

The Lord is the husbandman here, and never again will He ever let the vineyard out to others. He is the husbandman who keeps an eye continually upon it. He watches it night and day so that no enemy may enter. This ought to say something to those who believe that God is through with Israel. Scripture makes it clear that He is not through with Israel.

Isaiah 27:5

The enemy can make peace with God even in the Kingdom, for God never ceases to be merciful. Thank God for that! He is rich in mercy, which means that He has plenty of it. I need a lot of it myself. He is rich in grace. We will find out that ten million years from today His grace will still be available to us. I think we will need it even in heaven. “That he may make peace with me.” This is the only place in Scripture where it is even suggested that man can make peace with God. Of course here it has to do with obedience to the King and not the acceptance of Christ as Savior. Man cannot make peace with God about the sin question. God has already done that. Rom_5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (italics mine). When you are ready to agree with God and trust Him for what He has done through Christ on the cross, then you will have peace. You won’t have it until then. This verse is not talking about our day but about the time of the Millennium.

Isaiah 27:7

SMITING OF ISRAEL AND HER ENEMIESThis verse poses a question that has been partially answered already in the Book of Isaiah: Why does God judge Israel more than other nations? Light creates responsibility. In view of the fact that Israel had more light, her sin was blacker and her punishment was greater. She received more stripes than the nations who smote her. In Amo_3:2 we read, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Her punishment was severe, but God did not destroy Israel as He did some other nations. Psa_118:18 tells us, “The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.” God will not allow Israel to be destroyed.

Isaiah 27:9

It was not the suffering for sin that atoned for Israel’s sin. The sin of Jacob was purged by a blood offering, and the sin of the nation will be expiated by the blood of Christ. Just as you were saved as a sinner, that is the way it will take place in that day. Those who say that God is through with Israel simply have not read passages of Scripture like this:

Isaiah 27:10

However, the cities that Israel built are to be destroyed like any city that man builds apart from God. The great ruins in the world are the result of the judgment of almighty God. Why? Because they rejected light. They not only rejected light, they also rejected the person of the Son of God.

Isaiah 27:12

This section reveals that God definitely intends to restore the nation Israel to the Promised Land, and I have no argument with those who deny it. I just want to say this: It is not a question of whether Israel is going to be restored to the land. It is a question of whether or not you believe the Word of God. If you believe God’s Word, what are you going to do with a passage like this? You cannot spiritualize it, because the prophet talks about Assyria, Egypt, Israel, and Jerusalem. These are literal places. Israel is going to be literally restored. If you have a high view of the inspiration of Scripture, then believe what God says. This prophecy has never been fulfilled in the past. Its fulfillment is yet future. My friend, when God moves the Jews into the land, God will move them. When they come, they will worship Him. Just as He called you and me, He will call them. We are not seeing the fulfillment of this today.