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| 1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
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| 2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; |
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| 3 A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; |
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| 4 Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; |
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| 5 Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. |
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| 6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, |
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| 7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom. |
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| 8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all. |
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| 9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. |
Mine elect – Jesus. the Head and the Church, his Body. R3587:4
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| 10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. |
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| 11 But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. |
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| 12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. |
Ye did not answer – Israel's rejection of Messiah. OV76:T
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| 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: |
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| 14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. |
Vexation of spirit – From a broken spirit ye shall howl. OV76:T
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| 15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name: |
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| 16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. |
Blesseth himself – All nations shall bless themselves in becoming Abraham's seed in coming into relationship with the Kingdom of Israelitish basis. R5810:1
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| 17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. |
For, behold – Verses 17 to 25 give a prophetic view of the Millennial reign of Christ. R4411:1*
I create – The Lord speaks of Restitution as a new creation. R604:3*
He that was able to create is also able to recreate those once completely destroyed. R604:5*
New heavens – Spiritual ruling powers. R631:1, R3312:5; PD94/108
Christ and the Church, reigning. Q580:2; PD94/108
And a new earth – Human society. R3312:5; PD94/108; Q580:2
Mankind regenerated, or brought to life again. R631:1, R604:6*
And the former – Having been "removed like a cottage." (Isa. 24:19, 20) D558
Not be remembered – We will try to forget all those things of death and imperfection. Q580:3
Nor come into mind – The grandest earthly arrangements today would seem so trivial you would want to forget all about them, the things in the future being so far superior to these. Q581:7
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| 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. |
Jerusalem – The earthly phase of the Kingdom. A297
A rejoicing – Because of the exaltation of the Body of Christ to Kingdom power and glory. R1649:4
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| 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. |
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| 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. |
No more thence – Conditions under Messiah's reign will be very different than at present. OV127:2
An infant of days – No infant shall be born to die in a few days, as many do now. All shall come to maturity. R631:1, R5218:6; Q492:2; OV127:1
Nor an old man – The old man who died and will be brought back to life again will have just the same chance as the infant in that age--the full length of his probation. R631:2
Not filled his days – He might, at the very least, by obedience to the laws of Messiah's Kingdom, live to the conclusion of the Millennium. HG232:5; E478
The shortest period of probation in the next age will be one hundred years. R631:2, R1649:5
The child shall die – "As a lad shall one die." (Leeser) A144
They will be but "children," partially developed. R1261:6
Spoken of as children compared to those who will live on and become perfect. R4986:2, R631:2, R283:4, R3556:4*; OV127:2
But an infant, at 100 years of age, as in the antediluvian age. R3066:5
Just as, before the flood, when the average life was between 600 and 900 years, anyone dying at 100 would have been dying practically in childhood. Q492:2 OV127:4
The Second Death, because of having failed to benefit by the opportunities given to them. R2304:3, R1261:3
We may be sure that torture will not needlessly be inflicted on such. OV131:5
Electrocution will be the method used. OV131:5
Similarly, in olden times, Aaron's two sons violated their relationship with God and were smitten to death with an electric flash. OV131:5
The decision of some individual cases will be reached long before the end of the age; but in each age there is a "Harvest" or general separating time in the end of the age. R2606:2
The trial for life or death will proceed during all the Millennial age--throughout all that thousand-year judgment day. R4986:4, R2980:2
100 years old – Thus all are granted at least 100 years of trial. A144; OV129:4; R631:2
The extreme limit of reasonable mercy. OV129:4
Ample time for the world to see whether they will make even a little progress upward. R4986:4
After this, if there is a tendency to hold on, to appreciate and make use of the divine favors, "A bruised reed he will not break." (Isa. 42:3) R1772:5
Restitution blessings will recover mankind from the effect of the fall, so that it shall be as in Adam's day-full human maturity will be reached in a century, and a man dying then would be dying in childhood. OV128:2
Before one can then make progress he must enter into the New covenant and formally purpose to come into line with the requirements of the great King. R5240:4, R5388:5
Without receiving all the benefits of the Millennial reign-- simply because he refused to avail himself of them. R1426:4
Four times the period of mature experience in the present time. R1261:6
Not a guarantee--he may die sooner if sufficiently wilful or disobedient; but he may prolong his life, if in a measure disobedient, for 100 years, but no longer. Q201:2, Q492:2
But the sinner – Who makes no progress toward perfection under full light and opportunity. A144, A242; R1649:5, R4794:1, R3066:5; CR376:3
Who, after reasonable trial would oppose the rule of the Kingdom in any particular. F709; R4986:1, R5240:4, R5388:5
The wilfully rebellious sinner. R5442:3; OV127:2; Q201:2; HG148:4
None out of Christ will be made alive, fully resurrected, though all experience the awakening from death and a trial to prove their worthiness or unworthiness. R1592:4
He dies for his own sin, not for Adam's, as Adamic sin and Adamic Death have been cancelled. He dies the Second Death. R631:2
Sin and death go hand in hand, and neither shall be destroyed until the end of the thousand years. R10:3*
Shall be – The decision of some individual cases will be reached long before the end of the Millennial age. R2606:2
Accursed – Cut off from life. D643; R2051:4, R4986:2; SM172:1; Q492:2
If any who prove faithful during the first hundred years should then oppose righteousness, such would be cut off. R4986:2
One may die sooner than a hundred years if sufficiently wilful and disobedient. Q201:2
The sinner shall be accursed who dieth a hundred years old. R2063:5. R4986:2
The new Kingdom will have abundant power to execute summary sentence in the punishment of evildoers, when they have determined to act, but before they have done injury to others. D633
In the Second Death--destruction--from which there is to be no ransom and no resurrection. R1772:1
Not sent to eternal torment. OV131:2
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| 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. |
And they shall – Earthly blessings to Abraham's natural seed, and through Israel to all nations. R4956:6, R329:5, R1227:5, R5575:1, R4966:2
Build houses – Instead of witnessing to them, as to us, that houses and lands must be forsaken to gain a heavenly inheritance. R376:6
In the Times of Restitution. (Acts 3:21) R2323:5
Improved and cultivated homesteads. R1649:5
Earthly blessings. R4956:6; Q282:2
Not according to a fixed, common idea so that everyone will be exactly equal in convenience, elegance or tastefulness, but each may work out his own ideas and enjoy the results. R1326:6
There will not be rich nor poor. There will be socialism in the proper sense. OV186:2
And inhabit them – The individual right of property will be respected. R1326:5
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| 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. |
Another inhabit – There will be no such thing as a landlord in the coming age. R2904:2, R6013:4, R1649:5; SM791:1; OV1862
Days of a tree – "They shall renew their strength." (Isa. 40:31) R1649:5
It is believed that some trees live to be at least a thousand years old. OV128:3
Mine elect – All the faithful and obedient then. R1649:5
Shall long enjoy – Shall make them continue long (Margin). R3597:4
God's provision for restored Israel and all the families of the earth, but not for the Church. R4966:2
The everlasting possession of the land promised to Abraham. R1652:4
Every hope held forth to the Jew is earthly. OV118:1
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| 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. |
Nor bring forth – Seems to indicate that childbearing will continue for some time into the Millennial age, if not up to within 100 years or so of its close. R4411:2*
For trouble – "Unto an early death." (Leeser) R4411:2*
They – A human class and under the administration of the Kingdom. Q426:5
Are the seed – The children. R1649:5
Blessed of the LORD – The Church. R1649:5
The class, coming up by awakening from the dead, are not considered Adam's seed, but are the seed of the "Blessed and Only Potentate," who will then be known as the "Everlasting Father." (1 Tim. 6:15; Isa. 9:6) R4411:5*
Their offspring – During an early stage in the Millennium. Q426:5
The cutting off of the matter of human families will be a gradual one. Q426:5
Perhaps of those who have not been child bearers during the present time, to replace in the earthly family those who will be of the spiritual nature and those cut off in the Second Death. R4411:5*
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| 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. |
Before they call – Before the desires of their hearts have found expressions in words. R1866:5
So near will the Lord be, so mindful of all mankind's interests. R1649:5[R1649]
God foreknows all our difficulties and has arranged for our relief, merely waiting for us to cry unto him. R5278:4
I will answer – Will begin to so shape events as to bring the answer sooner or later. R1866:5
When, with broken and contrite hearts, they turn to the Lord. R1561:5
First, in the redemption provided; and secondly, in the necessary hard experiences which shall have brought them to repentance and humble dependence on God. R1561:5
While a prophecy relating to the Millennial age, it is nevertheless true of all his faithful ones of this age. R1866:5
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| 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. |
The wolf – Possibly literal; possibly referring to men of wolf-like disposition. R1649:6[R1649], R5574:4[R5574]
And the lamb – Possibly literal, possibly referring to men of lamb-like disposition. R1649:6[R1649], R5574:4[R5574]
Shall eat straw – No longer eat flesh, but return to his original condition in the Garden of Eden. R2837:1[R2837:1], R5574:4[R5574]
And dust – Signifying the destruction of Satan. "His enemies shall lick the dust." (Psa. 72:9) R1649:6[R1649], R5574:4[R5574]
The serpent's meat – Satan's. R1649:6[R1649], R5574:4[R5574]
They shall not hurt – But shall be fully restrained therefrom. D633[D632:3-D633:1]
"No lion shall be there." (Isa. 35:9) A217[A217:1]
This will be realized when Messiah's Kingdom shall have been established amongst men. R4768:1[R4768]
Nor destroy – The supposition that there would be any catastrophe then would be out of harmony with this prophecy. R5318:1[R5318:1]
The microbes of disease and pestilence shall be restrained. R1771:6[R1771]
My holy mountain – Kingdom. R1649:6[R1649]
The stone which smote the image on its feet and afterwards became a great mountain. (Dan. 2:35) R2375:1[R2374:8]
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