Isaías 4

Isaías 4:2-6

Morgan - In the oracle concerning the women, the prophet had foretold the destruction of the city by reason of the corruption in which these women were involved, both as to cause and course. As ever, this mes­senger of God saw that the retribution resulting from Divine judgment would issue in restoration; and in the brief but beautiful utterances contained in verses 2 to 6 of this chapter he described the new order. In the process of that judgment, evil will be eliminated, and those left in Jerusalem will be holy; the daughters of Jerusalem will be washed from their filth and the city cleansed of its blood. The words we have stressed are those in which the prophet described the agency by which this process of cleansing will be carried out. It is a remarkable description: "The spirit of justice and the spirit of burning." Justice is government in action, and in strict and impartial justice, it is discriminative and irresistible. Burning is a process which exterminates the things that are base and unworthy, and purifies to freedom from all alloy the things which are noble and worthy. This conception of God as a Spirit of justice and of fire, recurs again and again in these Old Testament writings, and passes over into the New Testament with its interpretation of the age of the Spirit. While there are senses in which the Spirit as fire is now available and at work in special ways, as the result of the perfected work of the Son of God, there are senses in which all human history has known the presence and power of "the spirit of justice," and "the spirit of burning." That spirit ever blasts the evil, and establishes the good. (Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible) Isaiah 4:5 then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Septuagint: And he shall come, and it shall be with regard to every place of mount Sion, yea, all the region round about it shall a cloud overshadow by day, and there shall be as it were the smoke and light of fire burning by night: and upon all the glory shall be a defence. Amplified: And the Lord will create over the whole site, over every dwelling place of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy (a defense of divine love and protection). (Amplified Bible - Lockman) BBE: And over every living-place on Mount Zion, all over all her meetings, the Lord will make a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for over all, the glory of the Lord will be a cover and a tent; ESV: Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. (ESV) KJV: And 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. NET: Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over its convocations a cloud and smoke by day and a bright flame of fire by night; indeed a canopy will accompany the LORD's glorious presence. (NET Bible) NLT: Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: Then hath Jehovah prepared Over every fixed place of Mount Zion, And over her convocations, A cloud by day, and smoke, And the shining of a flaming fire by night, That, over all honour a safe-guard, Then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy: Is 32:18; 33:20; Ps 87:2,3; 89:7; 111:1; Mt 18:20; 28:20 Ex 13:21,22; 14:19,20,24; 40:34, 35, 36, 37, 38; Nu 9:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22; Neh 9:12; Ps 78:14; Zech 2:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Is 31:4,5; 37:35; 46:13; Ps 85:9 Canopy - Ex 26:1,7, Joel 2:16, Psalm 19:5) Then - A time phrase. Always stop and ask "When is 'then'"? Isaiah has just explained that "then" is when he has washed… Zion and purged… Jerusalem. As we have established elsewhere this time of (spiritual) cleansing and purging corresponds to the Great Tribulation which culminates (and is terminated) by the Second Coming of Christ. JEHOVAH CREATES A COVERING CANOPY The LORD = Jehovah (See also Jehovah = Jesus) Create (01254) (barah) is the same Hebrew word used for creation of the heavens and earth (Ge 1:1, 21, 27, 2:3, 4, cp Is 65:17) and conveys the sense of creating something out of nothing (in contrast to "re-shaping" something). Barah - 45v (Notice 16 of 45 uses are in Isaiah and from chapter 40 onward) - brings about(1), clear(2), create(6), created(32), creates(1), creating(3), Creator(4), cut them down(1), make(2), produced(1). Ge 1:1, 21, 27; 2:3f; 5:1f; 6:7; Ex 34:10; Nu 16:30; Dt 4:32; Josh 17:15, 18; Ps 51:10; 89:12, 47; 102:18; 104:30; 148:5; Eccl 12:1; Isa 4:5; 40:26, 28; 41:20; 42:5; 43:1, 7, 15; 45:7, 8, 12, 18; 48:7; 54:16; 57:19; 65:17, 18; Jer 31:22; Ezek 21:19, 30; 23:47; 28:13, 15; Amos 4:13; Mal 2:10. Area (04349) (makon) means dwelling place (so translated in Isa 4:5KJV) and all but one of the 17 OT uses (Ps104:5) refer to God's dwelling place, either in heaven or the temple. Makon - 17v - Ex 15:17; 1 Kgs 8:13, 39, 43, 49; 2 Chr 6:2, 30, 33, 39; Ezra 2:68; Ps 33:14; 89:14; 97:2; 104:5; Isa 4:5; 18:4; Dan 8:11. NAS = area(1), dwelling place(1), foundation(3), foundations(1), place(11). Young adds an interesting comment that makon… is not used of human dwellings, and so designates a divine place of abode, the divine dwelling of Mount Zion. Zion is thus conceived as a unit. No longer is it necessary for access to the presence of God to be confined to the high priest, for the Holy of Holies is here done away and the entirety of Mount Zion is now the recipient of the blessing of God’s presence. (Young, E. The Book of Isaiah: Volume 1, Chapters 1-18. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co) To show how far fetched some of the interpretations in Isaiah can range (which therefore call for a diligent Berean approach - Acts 17:11-note), here is one from the Pulpit Commentary which comments on "area" or "dwelling" (KJV) writing… Perhaps, however, every dwelling. place of God, i.e. every Christian Church, is intended. On these, and on all Christian assemblies, there will rest a new presence of God—one which he will have “created (The Pulpit Commentary: Isaiah Vol. I. 2004 H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Ed.) Mount Zion (06726)(See in depth discussion of Zion and Mount Zion at Tsiyyon) - In Isa 4:3 the designation of "Zion" in the context is more consistent with the nation of Israel, but in this verse "Mt Zion" while it could refer to the entire city, is more likely a reference to the Temple Mount complex, the site of the future Millennial Temple and the dwelling place of Jehovah (cp Ps 9:11; 76:2; Is 8:18; 18:7; 24:23; Joel 3:17). Today (June, 2009) Mt Zion is controlled by the Muslims and is occupied in part by the Islamic holy place, the Dome of the Rock. in fact Jews are not even allowed into the Temple Mount complex at the time of this writing. Isaiah declares that there is a day in the future when not only will they be allowed on Mount Zion, but they will be protected there by the Lord's canopy (Isa 4:6)! Assemblies (04744) (miqra from qārāʾ= "to call," "to summon) refers to a convocation, a public meeting, reading, and an assembly. The term refers primarily to a sacred assembly or a convocation called together for sacred or religious purposes. Sometimes the word is attached to the word "holiness" to describe the feasts prescribed by the Lord in the Law (Lev. 23:2; Num. 28:18, 25). The word is used in the plural to refer to a place of holy assemblies or sanctuaries (Isa. 4:5). Miqrāʾ can also mean "a recitation" or "a reading aloud" such as the incident in Israel when Ezra gathered the people and "read aloud" the Book of the Law to all the people who were returning from exile so that a proper religious and moral foundation would be laid in Jerusalem and the covenant renewed (Neh. 8:1-12, specifically Neh 8:8). The Passover included a holy convocation on the first and seventh days (Ex 12:16); other festivals also included the gathering of the people (Nu. 28:18, 25, 26; 29:1, 7, 12). Miqra - 22v - assemblies(2), assembly(2), convocation(14), convocations(3), reading(1), summoning(1). Ex 12:16; Lev 23:2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 21, 24, 27, 35, 36, 37; Nu 10:2; 28:18, 25, 26; 29:1, 7, 12; Neh 8:8; Is 1:13; 4:5. Leonard J Coppes writes that miqra describes that which is the "the result of qārā (The root qr denotes primarily the enunciation of a specific vocable or message. In the case of the latter usage it is customarily addressed to a specific recipient and is intended to elicit a specific response) is used, first, for convocations exclusively cultic, and secondly, of the result of reading aloud (Neh 8:8). Miqra designates the weekly Sabbaths (Lev 23:2) and the new moons (Ezek 46:3; cf. Is 66:23). However, its most usual meaning is reserved for the seven special convocation Sabbaths. These were observed in the course of the five annual feasts (Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles were opened and closed with a special convocation Sabbath). Such days (and the weekly Sabbath as well) included a formal summoning of people to worship by the blast of trumpets (Nu 10:2, 10; cf. qôl). Physical presence was mandatory, however, only for the three festal pilgrimage feasts and only for males (Ex 23:14, 17). The Sabbath and Day of Atonement were further distinguished by the divine prohibition excluding all labor (Lv 23:3, 31), indeed, any pursuit of non-cultic goals (Is 58:13, 14.). The godly were to focus their time and effort on worship. The six other special convocations did not exclude the preparation of food even though servile labor was prohibited (Lev 23). (Harris, R L, Archer, G L & Waltke, B K Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody Press) Young adds that "The close connection between Zion and the assemblies would indicate that the true places of worship are to be found at Zion, and that over them all is the protecting cover of God. (Young, E. The Book of Isaiah: Volume 1, Chapters 1-18. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co) Cloud by day… fire by night - To the Jewish readers these allusions would bring to mind the days of wilderness wandering when the cloud and fire were tangible reminders that Jehovah was "personally" guiding and protecting His people (cp Ex 13:21, 22, 14:19, 24). Today we have His indwelling Spirit to guide believers. Grogan notes that "In Is 2:4 Mount Zion is elevated above the surrounding hills; here (Is 4:5) it is protected by divine symbols reminiscent of the journey out of Egypt (Ex13:21; 14:19-20). The protective symbols would not move, as they did during the Exodus; for the future Amount Zion is journey's end. (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary OT 7 Volume Set: Books: Zondervan Publishing) A MARRIAGE CANOPY? Over all the glory - This suggests that when Messiah the Branch is reigning in Jerusalem on Mt Zion, the manifestation of God's glory will be apparent similar to the glory that was seen over the wilderness Tabernacle and then over Solomon's Temple. Whereas the Shekinah glory cloud was formerly confined to the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and Temple, now the glory will appear over all of Mount Zion. Compare this description to Isaiah's vision in Isa 6:3 where the glory of Jehovah fills the whole earth. Here by contrast the focus and center of attention is on Mt Zion and by implication on Messiah the Branch as it is only proper, for the Lamb alone is worthy of such adulation and adoration. Related Resource: See article on tents in Scripture - Freemans' Handbook of Bible manners and customs NET note - This may allude to Ex 40:34, 35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory. (Ibid)