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| 1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
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To his anointed – Typically. R4699:5
Every business enterprise employs various classes of workers. The firm may not approve of all their moral qualities--some are of good moral character and some of poor character, but the most responsible positions are given to those of recognized good character. R5385:3
In no degree interfering with the moral sense of Cyrus or Israel but taking advantage of the aims and desires of carnal men, their courses, not their motives, to accomplish his plans. R1272:1, R1780:4
To Cyrus – The Median General. type of Christ. R509:6, R2498:4, R4699:5
Typical of Christ, the Prince of the Kings of the East, who, in Revelation is shown drying up the symbolic Euphrates, destroy symbolic Babylon and delivering spiritual Israel. HG521:2
I have holden – God prospered the way of the noble and benevolent Cyrus to the seat of power. R1780:4
Subdue nations – Overthrow literal Babylon, type of mystic Babylon. R2498:3, R509:6
The two leaved gates – Enormous gates of brass spanning the River Euphrates which flowed through Babylon. R2498:2
Shall not be shut – Cyrus dried up the old channel by digging another, and then passed under the brass gates. R2498:3, R509:6; D24
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| 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: |
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| 3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. |
That thou mayest know – Rather, God would have Cyrus know that his accession to power was not accidental, but by divine arrangement, for the purpose of returning the Israelites. God would have Cyrus recognize him as supervisor of his people's affairs. R1351:1*
By the calamities (evils) inflicted upon them and the overthrow of their man--made gods, to whom they would vainly appeal for deliverance--that there was no God beside the God of Israel. R1351:1*
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| 4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. |
Jacob my servant's sake – As Cyrus made the proclamation which permitted literal Israel to return from captivity, so the King of kings, upon taking his great power as earth's new King, will set free all the Lord's people. HG521:3
Israel mine elect – The fact that we may see in this statement a certain typical application to Christ and the deliverance of nominal spiritual Israel from mystic Babylon does not interfere with the fact that typical Israel is here spoken of as "elect." F176
"You only have I known of all the families of the earth." (Amos 3:2) F176
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| 5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: |
I girded thee – A stronger hand guides them. R1089:6* Isaiah 45:7
Create darkness – Darkness may be said to be created by the withdrawing of light. R1351:1*
Create – To prepare or arrange, taking cognizance of, and permitting calamities, etc. R849:1
Evil may be said to be created by the withdrawal of the restraint and protection that affords peace. R1351:1*
Showing divine control of every trouble or evil. R871:5
Is God responsible for evil? Yes, in that it comes by permission and arrangement as the proper punishment for violating his laws. No, in that man is the author of his own suffering by his violations of those laws. R871:6
No matter what accidental evils might happen to other nations, no accident could occur to Israel. God would carry out his part of the covenant--every blessing and every evil, just as he had promised. R1226:4, R1887:2, R2029:2
Evil – In this text the word "evil" stands in opposition to the word "peace" and hence carries the thought of trouble, war, or some similar evil opposed to peace. R1271:5, R1780:2
Sin is always an evil, but evil is not always a sin. A125; R1226:2
God is not the author and instigator of sin. A124; R848:3, R1800:4
Because Israel was inclined to view their calamities as accidents, and not as chastisements, God here sends word reminding them of their covenant, and that their calamities were from him and by his will for their correction. A125
Calamities upon the Jewish nation as chastisements for wrongdoing. R1271:5, R1780:2; A124; Q773:4
Two things must be borne in mind--the proper significance of the word "evil" and the special covenant relationship between God and Israel. R1271:4, R1780:1
"Anything that directly or remotely causes suffering." (Webster) R1271:4, R1780:1
The Hebrew word "ra" is translated 32 different ways in our common version. It might be used in referring to any thing not good. Physical evil (calamity) is the only permissible meaning in this context. R1800:2, R871:5
Not sin, but calamity. R1351:2*
All evil, directly or indirectly of God, is both punitory and reformatory. R872:1
Speaking of the evil which came upon Babylon at the hand of Cyrus, who was God's messenger to punish Babylon and restore Israel. R871:5
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| 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. |
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| 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. |
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| 8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. |
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| 9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? |
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| 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? |
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| 11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. |
His Maker – Man's Maker. A190; R612:5
Ask me – None have the right to dictate to God. A191; R612:5
Command ye me – Or, assert that he must carry out our ideas? A191
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| 12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. |
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| 13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts. |
Raised him up – Cyrus was God's messenger to punish Babylon and restore Israel. R871:5
Build my city – Ir, a walled place; here, the court walls of the Temple. The city walls themselves were not built until the 20th year of Artaxerxes. (Neh. 2:3-8) B67
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| 14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. |
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| 15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. |
God that hidest thyself – He can be seen only by those whose eyes of understanding have been opened. R5210:5; SM472:T
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| 16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. |
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| 17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. |
World without end – "The world to come" (Heb. 2:5); "wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Pet. 3:13); the New Age. A67, E402
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| 18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. |
Not in vain – Not to be burned up as some ignorantly think. R1052:6*
To be inhabited – He created various orders of creatures adapted to the earthly home, of which man was the chief--lord, ruler, king. R470:3
By restored, perfect men. Who are we that we should say it is unjust for God to do as he likes with his own? A191
By a glorious race of perfect beings, to whose wants it will be perfectly adjusted when both they and it have attained its ideal perfection, at first illustrated in our progenitor, Adam, and his specially prepared Eden home. R1117:1*
Not to be destroyed by fire. R470:3; SM791:1; PD91/105; HG398:4
The whole earth is eventually to be made like Paradise. CR292:1; PD91/105
The world has never yet been fully inhabited. R5364:4; PD18/26
Necessary resources will suffice, for the process of change is always in a circle and mankind will merely need to follow the circle to its initial starting point and repeat the process throughout eternity. Q772:2
Year by year we see the earth preparing for full inhabitation. Through climatic changes the earth is gradually changing. Gradually will the curse be removed and the blessings of God be substituted. PD91/105
As opposed to scientific theories of the solar system running down, the earth becoming cold and lifeless, the earth dropping into the sun or colliding with a comet or other planet. Q771:1
There is sufficient room--Texas has room to bury three times an exaggerated estimate of all humanity, and they could all stand in an area less than the size of New York or Philadelphia. A161
"And every creature on earth heard I saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne." (Rev. 5:13) F52
Other planets were not made in vain either, but may be inhabited by beings yet to be created in God's image, to whom this earth's experience with sin will be a perpetual lesson. F70; E416; Q161:2
There is none else – None has a right to dictate to him. R612:5
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| 19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. |
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| 20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. |
A god – El, strong, powerful, mighty one. R296:2
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| 21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. |
None beside me – Yet God hath exalted Jesus and given him the name at which all shall bow. R52:4*
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| 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. |
Look unto me – Not to mind cures, hypnotism, Christian Science, Spiritism, Occultism, etc. SM329:T
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| 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. |
That unto me – The whole world shall be brought back to allegiance to the Heavenly Father. SM16:2
Every knee – Not only the living nations, but also all those who have gone down into death. R2972:4
Shall bow – By acknowledging Christ and the Church the world will be bowing to Jehovah. OV351:4
All who are willing to come into harmony with God will have bowed the knee. R5303:1
Every tongue – Including the repentant fallen angels. R1679:6; HG729:5
Swear – Confess. Those who refuse shall die the Second Death. R5098:1; SM16:2; HG647:4
Bowing to Jehovah's Anointed and confessing him as their Lord and Ruler. HG729:5
There is no more reason why a sinner could not be forgiven in the future than that a sinner could not be forgiven in the present. HG647:2
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| 24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. |
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| 25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. |
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