Dedication
Greetings friends and colaborers of the Lord Jesus Christ!
I am writing to you with an excitement that is beyond words. For I would like to dedicate this book to individuals like yourselves whose desire to grow closer to Jesus and go deeper in the Word of God brings such JOY to my heart. And my prayer for each one of you is that the Holy Spirit will reveal more of Himself to you in this in-depth time of studying the Word of God daily. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6 nasb). So as you embark on this journey of studying each book of the Bible, may you experience a freshness and a fulfillment that can only come from the Spirit of God. You will have days that you won’t want to wake up early and read. There will be moments when life throws you a situation that delays your personal devotional time with Him. But please press in and allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen your every step. This will allow you to exercise your faith muscles and walk out what you are learning in this. From my experience, obedience will bring education to life!
It will be quite a strenuous commitment, yet it’s a part of an intentional strategy to equip the saints for His return. And your participation with reviveSCHOOL is a unique part of this preparation.
May the Lord receive all the glory, honor, and fame in this pursuit of righteousness.
Praying, Dr. Kyle Lance Martin
Lesson 20: Isaiah 43—44: Restoration of Israel ............................................ 80
Lesson 21: Isaiah 45—46: God of Plans and Promises.................................. 85
Lesson 22: Isaiah 47—49: The Second Servant’s Song .................................. 88
WEEK 86
Lesson 23: Isaiah 50—52: Awake! Awake! .................................................... 92
Lesson 24: Isaiah 53—55: The Fourth Servant’s Song ................................... 96
Lesson 25: Isaiah 56—58: A House of Prayer for All .................................. 100
Lesson 26: Isaiah 59—61: Messiah’s Jubilee ................................................ 104
Lesson 27: Isaiah 62—64: Zion’s Restoration ............................................. 108
Lesson 28: Isaiah 65—66: The Established People ...................................... 113
Lesson 29: Jeremiah 1—2: God Chose Jeremiah ........................................ 117
WEEK 87
Lesson 30: Jeremiah 3—5: Unfaithful Israel, Treacherous Judah ................. 121
Lesson 31: Jeremiah 6—8: Jeremiah Continued to Call Out God’s Judgment ........................................................................ 125
Lesson 32: Jeremiah 9—11: Curses or Blessings: Disobedience or Obedience ................................................................................ 130
Lesson 33: Jeremiah 12—14: The Persecuted Prophet ................................ 134
Lesson 34:
WEEK 88
Lesson 37: Jeremiah 22—23: The Righteous Branch of David
Lesson 38: Jeremiah 24—26: Exile, Wrath, and Judgment .........................
Lesson 39: Jeremiah 27—29: Jeremiah’s Letters to the Exiles ......................
Lesson 40: Jeremiah 30—31: The New Covenant ......................................
Lesson 41: Jeremiah 32—33: Taking Action in Faith ..................................
Lesson 42: Jeremiah 34—36: Examples of Faithfulness ..............................
Lesson 43: Jeremiah 37—39: The Fall of Jerusalem ....................................
WEEK 89
Lesson 44: Jeremiah 40—42: Hypocritically Seeking God’s Will ................ 181
Lesson 45: Jeremiah 43—45: Returning to Egypt....................................... 185
Lesson 46: Jeremiah 46—47: Prophecies Against Egypt ............................. 189
Lesson 47: Jeremiah 48—49: Restoration Through the New Covenant ...... 193
Lesson 48: Jeremiah 50: Persia Overthrowing Babylon ............................... 198
Lesson 49: Jeremiah 51—52: The Fulfillment of God’s Promises ................ 202
Lesson 50: Lamentations 1—2: Jeremiah’s Laments .................................... 207
WEEK 90
Lesson 51: Lamentations 3: Mercy for the One Who Suffers ......................
Lesson 52: Lamentations 4—5: Prayer for Restoration ...............................
Lesson 53: Ezekiel 1—2: Ezekiel’s Vision ...................................................
Lesson 54: Ezekiel 3: Messenger, Sufferer, Watchman, and Sign .................
Lesson 55: Ezekiel 4—5: Dramatically Sharing Jerusalem’s Coming Fall.....
Lesson 56: Ezekiel 6—7: Announcement of the End .................................. 236
Lesson 57: Ezekiel 8—10: The Departure of the Shekinah Glory of God
WEEK 91
Lesson 58: Ezekiel 11—13: Ezekiel Dramatizes the Exile ...........................
Lesson 59: Ezekiel 14—15: Devastating Judgments ...................................
Lesson 60: Ezekiel 16—17: The Parable of the Adulterous Wife .................
Lesson 61: Ezekiel 18—19: Individual Responsibility for Sin
Lesson 64: Ezekiel 24—26: The Parable of the Boiling Pot .........................
WEEK 92
Lesson 65: Ezekiel 27—29: The Fall of Tyre’s Ruler
Lesson 66: Ezekiel 30—32: Personal Responsibility for Sin ........................
Lesson 67: Ezekiel 33—34: The Watchman and the Shepherd ...................
Lesson 68: Ezekiel 35—36: Restoration of Israel’s People ...........................
Lesson 69: Ezekiel 37—38: The Valley of Dry Bones .................................
Lesson 70: Ezekiel 39: God Invades Israel...................................................
Lesson 71: Ezekiel 40—41: Details that Give Hope ...................................
WEEK 93
Lesson 72: Ezekiel 42—44: Sacrifices in the Millennial Temple ..................
Lesson 73: Ezekiel 45—46: The Lord’s Portion of the Land........................
Lesson 74: Ezekiel 47—48: Rivers of Living
Lesson 75: Daniel 1—2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream.....................................
Lesson 76: Daniel 3—4: Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue ........................
Lesson 77: Daniel 5—7: Interpretation of Daniel’s Vision ..........................
Lesson 78: Daniel 8—10: Daniel’s Prayer, Daniel’s Vision ..........................
Lesson 79: Daniel 11—12: Kings of the South and the North ...................
reviveSCHOOL History and Introduction
In January of 2015, our ministry, Time to Revive, was invited from our home base in Richardson, Texas, to Goshen, Indiana, to help equip the local church to learn how to go out and share the gospel in their community. We called it reviveINDIANA. During this frigid first trip in January, our intention was to help facilitate a week of prayer and outreach as a form of training, which we hoped would lead to an intentional week of outreach later that year. Little did we know that God had other plans.
The week of prayer and outreach started with about 450 people from various churches in the community and, to our surprise, quickly swelled to over 3,000. And by the end of that first week, the Holy Spirit confirmed to a group of us, including local pastors, that the Time to Revive team should stay for 52 straight days! Imagine the phone calls we had to make to our spouses telling them we were going to stay a “little” longer.
Over the course of these seven weeks, the local church witnessed God move in mighty ways, and each person involved could tell you miraculous testimonies of how they witnessed, firsthand, how God was moving. The 52 days culminated on March 4 of that year where an estimated 10,000 people showed up to brave the cold temperatures and go out and share the love of Jesus Christ.
All the while, word of this was spreading throughout the state, and it led to the Time to Revive team being invited to seven different cities in Indiana over the course of the next seven months. We continued to witness the local body of believers in these various communities encouraged and equipped to continue to take out their faith and share with others. The gospel wasn’t intended to stay only in the church building. Jesus commissioned each one of us to go and make disciples in our own Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Back in Goshen, the local body continued to go out regularly after those initial 52 days while keeping track of the days since that first amazing week. A couple of years later in 2017, the local believers invited our team to celebrate their 1,000th day of outreach in their community. It was during that time when a local man shared with us a dream he had, which led us to start a two-year Bible study in the community. Similar to the Apostle Paul as he taught 12 disciples in Ephesus to study the Word of God on a daily basis, Time to Revive’s desire was to also provide in-depth teaching that would focus on where the Messiah is found in every book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. We knew this would deepen their commitment to sharing the gospel as well as deepen their relationship with the Lord and with those whom they were discipling.
But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, conducting discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. —Acts 19:9
This local Bible study started with 12 men who signed up and committed to study the Word of God in a barn on a county road in Goshen, Indiana. And on January 1, 2018, we launched reviveSCHOOL with 54 men in this initial group. They studied the Scriptures daily, using the online resources, then gathered in the barn to discuss them in person. Each student studied the Bible daily using these resources:
• a Scripture reading plan to stay on track,
• a 29-minute teaching video (by Kyle Lance Martin, Indiana pastors, and TTR teachers),
• a devotion (written by Laura Kim Martin),
• reading guide questions to help facilitate discussion and critical thinking,
• lesson plans to summarize the daily teaching, and
• a painting of each book of the Bible by Mindi Oaten.
Upon the completion of the two-year study in the Word, Time to Revive celebrated over 200 students who had joined reviveSCHOOL with a graduation ceremony in January 2020. Plans were made for these individuals to take the Word and launch reviveSCHOOL groups not only in the United States but also throughout various nations. However, with worldwide travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this travel didn’t happen. Thankfully, God had another plan, His plan was “above and beyond” all that Time to Revive could ask or think of (Ephesians 3:20–21).
With all the reviveSCHOOL materials already available online, the Holy Spirit spread the word to pastors and leaders of nations all throughout the world. Believers were hungry for biblically sound teaching and resources to grow closer to the Lord. As exemplified in Acts 19 with Paul and the disciples, and all the people of Asia, the Word of God through reviveSCHOOL truly spread—from a barn in Indiana to the nations.
And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the message about the Lord. —Acts 19:10
By God’s grace, reviveSCHOOL has become an outlet for individuals to gain fresh insight into the Messiah all throughout the Scriptures, as well as to develop an understanding of the role of Israel from a biblical perspective.
I am humbled and honored that you would select reviveSCHOOL for your learning. When we started with 12 guys in a Bible study, we had no idea that reviveSCHOOL would be as far reaching as it has become. Our team would delight in knowing that you are studying the Word of God and using the resources with reviveSCHOOL. We pray that through these resources you will grow closer to the Lord and that you are inspired to walk out the plans that God has for your life by exposing others to the love of Christ.
To God be the glory!
Dr. Kyle Lance Martin
For further information about how to sign up for this two-year study in the Word of God or if you would like to launch a reviveSCHOOL group in your community, state/province, or country, please go online to www.reviveSCHOOL.org.
About the Cover
Jeremiah “Bears Our Brokenness”
Artist Notes: Mindi Oaten
Jeremiah is a book rich in figurative language that describes the struggles of a prophetic calling and how God used the prophet Jeremiah to relay a message of judgment and salvation to Judah and the nations. Of these two messages Jeremiah was conveying, I chose to focus the overall composition on the stories of judgment. This portrays a beautiful story of God’s love for the people, His concern over their sin, the impending judgments, and the seriousness of staying true to His Word and what will come to pass if it is ignored. He will do what He says.
Dark/Drippy Sky and Background
I went with more of a moody, darker sky in Jeremiah to give the feeling of impending judgments and stern warnings God spoke through the life of Jeremiah. I didn’t specifically show an image of “weeping,” although Jeremiah is often described as the “weeping prophet,” but instead I used a drippy background technique to give the appearance of tears in the sky. The sadness is symbolized by rain dripping in the background.
Overturned Pot
“Again the word of the Lord came to me inquiring, ‘What do you see?’ And I replied, ‘I see a boiling pot, its lip tilted from the north to the south.’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘Disaster will be poured out from the north on all who live in the land.’ ” (Jeremiah 1:13–14)
Right after God shows Jeremiah the almond branch, He shows him a boiling pot tipping over. The pot is a visual symbol of destruction. Throughout Jeremiah, God uses a lot of imagery for warnings and destruction.
Broken Clay Pot
“Then you are to shatter the jar in the presence of the people traveling with you, and you are to proclaim to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: I will shatter these people and this city, like one shatters a potter’s jar that can never again
be mended. They will bury the dead in Topheth because there is no other place for burials.” (Jeremiah 19:10–11)
God instructed Jeremiah to break the clay pot as a prophetic act and a warning of what He will do to the nation of Israel.
Cup Poured Out
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: ‘Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and make all the nations I am sending you to, drink from it. They will drink, stagger, and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.’ So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations drink from it, everyone the Lord sent me to.” (Jeremiah 25:15–17)
In another prophetic act, the cup of judgment was poured out.
Cistern / Hole in the ground
In Jeremiah 38, the officials threw him into a cistern because he was warning of what was coming. They did not like what they were hearing, saying it was discouraging, so they threw him in a pit. I painted a hole in the ground to reference this cistern.
Cloth
“So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority and went to the king’s palace to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.” (Jeremiah 38:11)
The cloth represents the rags that Ebed-melech and the men grabbed to rescue Jeremiah from the pit. This rescue was an act of kindness and a display of great love for God’s prophet. Ebed-melech lowered soft clothing down for Jeremiah to wrap around his body—better than a scratchy rope! He honored the prophet by caring for his body. Ebed-melech had received the prophet’s word and was determined to help him. I think of Jesus rescuing us from the cistern not only as the ultimate rescue of salvation but also when we need rescuing throughout our daily life. The cloth also reminds me of Jesus being wrapped in linen and His dead body being taken care of by women in the tomb. Cloth reminds me of the Lord’s ultimate covering provided for us through His sacrifice, our salvation.
Flower—The Almond Branch: awakening, to watch
“Then the word of the Lord came to me, asking, ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’ I replied, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’ The Lord said to me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I watch over My word to accomplish it.’ ” (Jeremiah 1:11–12)
This was an image of Jeremiah’s commissioning:
[The almond branch is] a play on words that carries a vital truth for Israel as well as for us. The Hebrew word for almond, shaked, is also translated “to watch.” By seeing the almond branch, God assured Jeremiah that He is watching over His word to bring it to pass, no matter the passage of time.
In context, God had just given Israel a warning. . . . Then after Jeremiah sees the almond tree, God shows him a boiling pot over Jerusalem which portends “calamity.” While the almond is a sign of hope that God will eventually fulfill His wonderful promises to Israel (or to us), the context is more ominous. . . .
The lesson of the almond tree, therefore, is that God in heaven watches a sinful nation walking away from Him and declares it will have consequences. His message to humanity today is still the same: God is watching! He will watch over His word either for curse or for blessing. When sin and immorality engulf nations and even penetrate the Church, we should remember: God is watching! When nations assail Israel and seek to divide her land, we can be sure: God is watching!
Still, the message of the “almond” does carry a strong encouragement. Jeremiah also foresees a miraculous restoration for Israel. “And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them, to destroy, and to afflict . . . so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:28)1
*In reviveSCHOOL, the theme word for Jesus in Jeremiah is New Covenant.
1 Dr. Juergen Buehler, “The Lesson of the Almond Tree,” International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, January 4, 2011, https://www.icej.org/blog/the-lesson-of-the-almond-tree/.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 1—2
Immanuel: Judah on Trial
Teaching Notes
Intro
As we begin to study the major prophets from the book of Isaiah, we’ll see prophecies that are relevant to Israel’s current situation at that time, the first coming of Christ, and the second coming of Christ. As we study Isaiah, we’ll need to consider which of these times he was talking about—or if he was talking about all three simultaneously. The name Isaiah means, “the Lord is salvation,”1 so the meaning of his name drives everything that he says. In his writings, Isaiah constantly pointed to Jesus as Immanuel, which means “God with us.” In Isaiah 7:14, which is known as one of the Christmas prophecies, God promised that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, whom she would name Immanuel.
Isaiah was the son of Amoz (Isaiah 1:1) who saw visions about Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (all kings of Judah). Under Saul, David, and Solomon (kings of Israel), the whole country was united. After Solomon’s death, the kingdom split into the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom included ten tribes and the Southern Kingdom included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Messiah would come through the lineage of Judah. After the kingdoms split, prophets began speaking into the two kingdoms. Isaiah’s audience was the Southern Kingdom, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the city of Jerusalem. Isaiah told them their sinful behavior would lead to times and events which are described as pre-exile, exile, and post-exile. He prophesied about what the Southern Kingdom would experience in captivity. He spoke in oracles or burdens that were a form of prophetic words. He also spoke of judgments that would affect the Southern Kingdom and the surrounding nations.2
In this process, there were two captivities—the Assyrian captivity and the Babylonian captivity. Those taken in the Assyrian captivity never returned. Some taken in the Babylonian captivity would eventually return to Judah and
1 John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 755.
2 MacArthur, 755.
Jerusalem. Isaiah’s goal was to portray hope for Judah in the midst of all this. By the end of this book, we’ll be talking about the return of Christ and His royal reign.
Isaiah prophesied during the reign of four different kings. King Uzziah’s downfall resulted from his attempt to assume the privileges of a priest and burn incense on an altar. He attempted to take on two roles and was judged with leprosy but never actually received it. Uzziah was a confused guy who struggled to determine his identity. King Jotham was Uzziah’s son, who became king when he was 25. Assyria grew more powerful while he was king. King Ahaz ruled from the age of 25 until he was about 41 years old. During his reign, Israel and Syria formed an alliance to combat the Assyrians, but Ahaz refused to bring Judah into that alliance. He did set up a pagan altar inside Solomon’s temple. During his reign, the Assyrians captured Samaria and carried many of the Israelites away into captivity. King Hezekiah became king in his twenties, and reformation was a theme of his reign. He was considered a good king. Hezekiah didn’t back down when faced with the Assyrian threat to Judah, because he knew he could put his trust in God. He integrated the things of God into the nation while removing things that were not of God. He established truth in all of this. He even prayed God would extend his life, and God gave him 15 more years.3
There are 66 chapters in the book of Isaiah, and the first 39 chapters talk about judgment and the components of the Law. The Old Testament has 39 books which similarly portrays the same thing. The last 27 chapters of Isaiah talk about comfort and redemption, which is really what the New Testament brings through, “God with Us.” The New Testament has 27 books. The Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel), share the theme of pronouncing judgment as well as promising comfort and hope.
Teaching
Isaiah 1:1–9: Isaiah didn’t just make up his message. The Spirit of God spoke to him, giving him the message to share with the people. God basically told Isaiah that he was going to portray a courtroom case. The Lord was the plaintiff, and Israel was the defendant.4 God’s people were thickheaded and didn’t even understand that God was in charge (v. 3). God described His own children as evildoers and depraved children who despised and had turned their backs on God (v. 4). There was nothing healthy about them (vv. 5–6). God saw all their issues, and there was nothing good about them. Their land was “a desolation demolished by foreigners” (v. 7). “Daughter of Zion,” a reference to the city of Jerusalem, was abandoned “like a besieged city” (v. 8). Speaking through Isaiah, God was saying
3 MacArthur, 755–56.
4 MacArthur, 759
judgment was coming, captivity was coming. But in the captivity, God was going to spare them and leave them a remnant (v. 9). According to MacArthur, this “remnant will constitute the nucleus of returning Israelites in the nation’s regathering when the Messiah returns to earth.”5 This message gave them hope that not everyone would die.
Isaiah 1:10–15: Here’s what God was saying to His kids: You look good, you play the part, claiming to be God’s chosen children; but it’s all fake, it’s all hypocrisy. So in verse 11, God said enough was enough. God told them to “stop bringing useless offerings” to Him (v. 13). Their incense was detestable (v. 13), and God was tired of putting up with their prescribed festivals (v. 14). God had instituted those things for the Israelites, but they were using them to cloak the fact that their hearts were not right.
George Barna has done a survey that shows there is one church in the United States for every 550 adults. Over 90 percent of Americans say they have a Bible in their home, and two-thirds of Americans say they are religious. But two-thirds also say the Bible is not relevant to what they do—to their actions. The point is we have everything that makes us look like a Christian nation, so why don’t we see something different? When we look at the culture and at the news, it feels like we’re not having an impact.
Isaiah released a message to Judah: enough is enough. God still loved His people, the body of Christ; but they were playing a religious game, and God was no longer going to listen to their prayers (v. 15).
Closing
Here’s the picture: it’s a courtroom with God vs. His kids. And God says “guilty!” We have to understand that there has to be bad news so that Isaiah could release good news as well.
The Daily Word
In Isaiah’s vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem, the Lord clearly gave His people two options: repent and obey or rebel and disobey. Obedience would lead to good things in the Lord, whereas disobedience would lead to destruction. In the same way, if you confess your sins, Jesus is faithful and righteous to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Jesus came so you may receive mercy and grace if you choose to believe in Him as the risen Savior of the world. Once you repent, the Lord asks you to turn away from your old ways and walk obediently in the newness of Christ. When you wake up each day, ask
5 MacArthur, 759.
the Lord to help you obey His voice. The Lord will be with you as you turn to the right or to the left, following His lead. It’s a daily obedience as you abide in Him and follow His voice. Otherwise, you can wake up each day, choose to turn away from Christ, and just do your own thing. You may hear God’s voice, but like a disobedient child, you choose to do whatever you want, whenever you want. You ignore counsel and walk in disobedience. Today, the choice is yours: repent and obey or rebel and disobey. How will you choose to walk with Christ?
“Come, let us discuss this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. —Isaiah 1:18–20
Further Scripture: Psalm 119:9–11; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9
Questions
1. Could Isaiah 1:9 also be describing the modern church in that there is a small remnant of true believers, and the rest are living by their own rules?
2. In Isaiah 1:11–15, God expressed His anger. Was His anger at the rituals themselves or at the hearts of the Israelites (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8)? Were they honoring God with their lips or their hearts? Have you found yourself guilty of doing the same?
3. Could Isaiah 2:10–17 also be describing the time of the Antichrist and his fall at the second coming of the Lord (Revelation 19)? Why or why not?
4. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Isaiah 1—2 through the reading or the teaching?
Lesson 2: Isaiah 3—4
Immanuel: Zion’s Future Glory
Teaching
Notes
Intro
To review from yesterday, the prophet Isaiah had a vision specifically for the Southern Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. It came right before their exile to Babylon (chapter 1) and was about the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem (chapter 2), and the judgment and glory of Zion (chapters 3—4). Our word for Isaiah is Immanuel, that God was going to show up in human flesh.
Yesterday, we portrayed Isaiah with three circular rings. The first circle represents Judah’s current situation assessment that came from the Lord and the coming exile with the Assyrians and the Babylonians. The second circle is the first coming of Immanuel by a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). The third circle is the second coming of the Messiah and the millennium.
In chapter 2, Isaiah told the Israelites they were guilty, but the peace of the Lord was coming (vv. 1–4). It was a message of hope. Then Isaiah went back to the coming judgment (v. 5) and that continues until Isaiah 4:2. In chapter 3, the discussion of the judgment continues. Mark Copeland outlines chapter 3 as follows:
A. The removal of good leadership . . .
1. The Lord will deprive the nation not only of supplies, but of good leaders—3:1–7
2. Because of Judah and Jerusalem’s blatant wickedness—3:8–9
3. The righteous will be cared for, but not the wicked!—3:10–11
4. So poor leaders will be given to the people, and leaders who misused their power will be judged—3:12–15
B. The women and their coming tragedy . . .
1. Judgment to come upon them for their haughtiness and wantonness—3:16–17
2. A detailed description of their loss—3:18—4:1
a. The Lord will take away their finery
b. Their men will fall by the sword and war
c. They shall be left desolate, and desperate to remove their reproach1
Because the men will fall by the sword, the ratio of men to women will become unbalanced with more women than men (v. 25), and the women will become desolate in their lives without them (v. 26). This gives us the background for chapter 4.
Teaching
Isaiah 4:1: Because of all that Isaiah prophesied would happen in chapter 3, the women would not be able to have children and would be shamed by that. Therefore, in verse 1, Isaiah said “in that day,” “the once-proud women of Jerusalem would have to beg a man to father their children and take away their reproach— the fact that they have no children. Most of the men of Jerusalem would have died in the process of defending the city (3:25).”2
Isaiah 4:2–6: In verses 2–6, Isaiah gave the millennial blessing. Verse 2 begins with, “In that day,” which “speaks of the future revelation of the glory of the Lord on the earth (2:2–4).”3 Nelson’s Commentary explains, “The prophecy of Zion’s restoration has three parts: (1) the Branch of the Lord will be glorious (v. 2); (2) the remnant will be sanctified (vv. 3, 4); and (3) the Lord will provide a protective covering over Mount Zion (vv. 5, 6).”4 Wiersbe explains that “Branch of the Lord . . . looks beyond the ‘Day of the Lord’ to that time when the kingdom will be established on earth” and is “a messianic title for Jesus Christ, who came as a ‘shoot’ from the seeming dead stump of David’s dynasty.”5 “The fruit of the land” refers to the remnant of Israel.
The Branch of the Lord is coming, and He will be beautiful in this process. This is truly a picture of the messianic kingdom being established (Isaiah 11:1; 53:2; Jeremiah 23:5). The Branch is not going to be what we’re expecting. Jesus is coming to be with us, and those who embrace that message will be the remnant. MacArthur points out, “Holy is another way of describing the remnant who will
1 Mark A. Copeland, “The Book of Isaiah: Student Edition,” 12–13, Executable Outlines, https://executableoutlines.com/pdf/isa_se.pdf.
2 Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, and H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999), 810.
3 Radmacher et al., 810.
4 Radmacher et al., 810.
5 Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Comforted: Feeling Secure in the Arms of God (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1992), 33.
inherit God’s prosperity in that day”6 (v. 3). John 15:4–5 states we must remain in the Vine as branches in order to produce fruit. Isaiah 4 is a foreshadowing of John 15:4–5. All the Major Prophets pointed to the Branch (Jeremiah 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; 6:12). All of this alludes to the fact that captivity was coming, but there would be a shoot that would come from that captivity that would bring hope—His name is Branch, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah.
Then the Branch will wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleanse Jerusalem (v. 4). This will be a period (the second coming, tribulation) of cleansing with the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning—God’s fiery judgment. Then God “will create a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame by night over the entire site of Mount Zion” (v. 5). God’s canopy will cover the glory, a booth will provide shade during the day, and shelter will protect from storm and rain (v. 6).
Closing
Every person will experience the presence of God. The question is, which side will you be on? Early in our discussion of Isaiah, we saw God call out the people for the lifestyle they were living—immoral, seductive, sexual, adulterous, idolatrous—and told them that if they would only look to the Branch, He would get them out of the dangerous situation they were in. God keeps promising the judgment and the blessing. Which one do you want to experience? I want to experience God’s blessing. The blessing can only come through Jesus the Messiah, the Immanuel.
The Daily Word
Just as Judah and Jerusalem were in the midst of judgment and wrath when God granted mercy, God willingly grants you mercy. You may feel as though you have messed up with everything and everyone. Perhaps anything or anyone you looked to for security has disappeared. Remember, no matter what, God remains. He offers you grace and mercy. He is the God who forgives. He is the God who loves in the midst of darkness. It’s in this place of mercy and grace that God reveals His glory.
Imagine a dark, dreary day on the beach. Just when you think there’s no hope for the sun to shine, brightness peeks out from behind a cloud! With your head up, you joyfully walk into the sunlight and find hope for a beautiful day ahead. The day feels redeemed. In a similar way, when you think you’ve lost all hope in your life, when you feel your destiny is doomed, remember God shines grace and mercy in the midst of your darkness. God hasn’t given up on you. Open your
6 John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 764.
eyes and receive His redeeming love for your life through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus will set you free from bondage. He will be your refuge and shelter from the storms of life. You are loved in His eyes. Today, open your eyes and receive His light and glory in your life!
On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors. Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem who are destined to live. —Isaiah 4:2–3
Further Scripture: Psalm 130:3–4; Isaiah 3:1a; Ephesians 1:7–8
Questions
1. In Scripture, where do we see the fulfillment of Isaiah 3:4? (2 Kings 21:1; 22:1; 24:8)
2. Isaiah 3:8 states Jerusalem and Judah fall because “their tongue and their doings are against the Lord.” What does the author mean by that? Do you know of someone who is guilty of this behavior? In what ways?
3. Who is the “Branch of the Lord” (John 15:1–2)?
4. When you read Isaiah 4:2–6, do you believe it speaks of the coming tribulation and Jerusalem during the reign of Christ? Why or why not?
5. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Isaiah 3—4 through the reading or the teaching?
