Only the righteous will be delivered from the tyranny of those who persecute God’s people.
Who are the righteous?
They are the people who believe and follow the Lord and walk uprightly before Him.
15I
will tell you who can live here: All who are honest and fair, who reject making
a profit by fraud, who hold back their hands from taking bribes, who refuse to
listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do
wrong. 16Such as these shall dwell on high. The rocks of the
mountains will be their fortress of safety; food will be supplied to them, and
they will have all the water they need.
17Your
eyes will see the King in his beauty and the highlands of heaven far away. 18Your
mind will think back to this time of terror when the Assyrian officers outside
your walls are counting your towers and estimating how much they will get from
your fallen city. 19But soon they will all be gone. These fierce,
violent people with a strange, jabbering language you can’t understand will
disappear.
20Instead you will see Jerusalem at peace, a place where God is worshiped, a city quiet and unmoved. 21The glorious Lord will be to us as a wide river of protection, and no enemy can cross. 22For the Lord is our Judge, our Lawgiver, and our King; he will care for us and save us. 23The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God; even the lame will win their share. 24The people of Israel will no longer say, “We are sick and helpless,” for the Lord will forgive them their sins and bless them.[1] (Isaiah 33:15–24)
God gave a strong promise to the righteous of the earth, to those who truly believe in the Lord and follow Him: He will deliver them from the violent oppressors and betrayers of earth. A glorious day of salvation is coming for God’s people, a day when the Messiah will set up His kingdom on earth and rule in righteousness. Isaiah painted a graphic picture of what life will be like in the Messiah’s kingdom. Although some of what he described could possibly apply to the Jews after the withdrawal of the Assyrian forces, most of his description could not apply to life in a corruptible world. Thus, Isaiah is definitely describing the future kingdom of the Messiah.
The
citizens of the kingdom will be the righteous of this earth (v. 15).
Only the righteous will be delivered from the tyranny of those who persecute
God’s people. Who are the righteous? Isaiah leaves no doubt about their
identity. They are the people who believe and follow the Lord and walk
uprightly before Him. They obey God’s commandments, His Holy Word. Specifically,
the righteous …
- speak the truth, never lying to or deceiving people
- do not seek gain through oppression or extortion and do not accept bribes
- refuse to listen to or take part in plots of murder or any other evil act that would harm people
- shut their eyes to all the seductions and enticements to do evil
- God will greatly bless people who truly believe in the Lord, who walk righteously day by day and seek to follow the commandments of God. Isaiah spelled out very specific blessings. These blessings describe what life will be like when Christ returns to establish God’s kingdom on earth.
1) The righteous will dwell on high with the Lord Himself (v. 16). “On high” means the place where God lives, the place of His residence or dwelling. Once Christ returns to earth, righteous believers will live with Him forever. They will never again be separated from Him. This is one of God’s great promises to righteous believers:
V “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe
in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn.
14:1–3).
V “For our conversation [citizenship] is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
unto himself” (Ph. 3:20–21).
V “Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant
mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pe. 1:3–4).
V “And there shall in no wise enter into it [New Jerusalem] anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, nor maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Re. 21:27).
2) The righteous will be secure and well-fed, lacking nothing (v. 16). All necessities of life will be met with an inexhaustible supply of provisions to meet every need. Furthermore, the Messiah’s kingdom will be a refuge providing perfect security, a place far more secure than a mountain fortress. This is God’s wonderful promise to righteous believers:
V “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).
V “I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me” (Ph. 4:13).
V “For we have not a high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin. Let
us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need” (He. 4:15–16).
V “The Lord is
my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will
trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Ps.
18:2).
V “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever” (Ps. 125:2).
V “Oh, how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord: for he hath showed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city” (Ps. 31:19–21).
3) The righteous will see the King, the Lord, in all His glory and splendor. They will live with Him as He rules over all the land that stretches across the face of the earth (v. 17; also see v. 22; Mt. 5:8). Righteous believers could have no greater privilege than to see the Lord face-to-face and to be allowed to live with, worship, and serve Him. This is one of the great promises God gives the righteous:
V “Blessed are
the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8).
V “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,
we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath
this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 Jn. 3:2–3).
V “As for me, I will behold thy face in
righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Ps. 17:15).
V “Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty:
they shall behold the land that is very far off” (Is. 33:17).
V “Father, I will that they also, whom thou
hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou
hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24).
V “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but
then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am
known” (1 Co. 13:12).
V “And there shall be no more curse: but the
throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it [New Jerusalem]; and his servants
shall serve him: And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Re. 22:3–4).
V “And while they looked steadfastly toward
heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which
also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same
Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as
ye have seen him go into heaven” (Ac.
1:10–11).
V “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be
ashamed, but that with all boldness,
as always, so now also Christ shall
be magnified in my body, whether it be
by life, or by death. For to me to live is
Christ, and to die is gain” (Ph. 1:20–21).
V “For the Lord, himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Th. 4:16–18).
4) The righteous will be forever free from the terror of oppressors and destroyers (vv. 18–19). Universal peace will sweep the earth because of the government of the Messiah. The righteous will remember the terror of evil military officers and political leaders, but those evil, arrogant people will no longer be present to oppress them. Note that Isaiah contrasted the terror of the Assyrian siege with the universal peace that will exist in the Messiah’s kingdom. In His kingdom, officers will no longer plot to attack the towers of the city or estimate how much wealth they can plunder after they conquer it. No longer will foreign invaders speak in a strange, unknown language. The Lord will remove all evil oppressors from the earth, and there will finally be universal peace.
V “He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the
earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the
chariot in the fire” (Ps. 46:9).
V “And he shall judge among the nations, and
shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore” (Is. 2:4).
V “Of the increase of his government and peace there
shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order
it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Is. 9:7).
V “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my
holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the
waters cover the sea” (Is. 11:9).
V “But they shall sit every man under his vine
and under his fig tree, and none shall make them
afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it” (Mi. 4:4).
V “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth” (Zec. 9:10).
5) The righteous will worship in Jerusalem, which will be a secure, quiet, and peaceful place (vv. 20–21). Jerusalem will be a center of worship, not a center of terrorist attacks or war. It will never again know trouble or unrest. During the Messiah’s reign, peace will blanket the city like a tent whose stakes cannot be pulled up nor any of its ropes cut or moved. The Lord Himself, the Mighty One, will rule over the city, and He will be like a wide river that protects the city from all enemies (v. 21). Peace and protection are two of the great promises the Lord gives to righteous believers.
V “But there shall not a hair of your head
perish” (Lu. 21:18).
V “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid” (Jn.
14:27).
V “These things I have spoken unto you, that in
me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn.
16:33).
V “Then cometh
the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must
reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet” (1 Co. 15:24–25).
V “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto
God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Ph. 4:6–7).
V “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever” (Ps. 125:2).
6) The Lord will govern the righteous, for He is our Judge, Lawgiver, and King (v. 22). It is He and He alone who will save us. As our Judge, the Lord will accept us into His kingdom if we have truly trusted Him and lived righteous lives. As our Lawgiver, the Lord expects us to obey His holy commandments and live under His government. As our King, He expects us to serve Him by working diligently and making the greatest contribution we can to His kingdom. Note that all the functions of government are covered in this threefold title of the Lord: the judicial, the legislative, and the executive.1
7) The righteous will be brought through the storm of life despite almost sinking (v. 23). Life is so fragile that it is like a sailboat caught in a severe storm—its riggings hanging loose, its masts insecure, and its sail not yet spread—ready to sink at any moment. But the Lord will save the righteous from the storms of life and usher them into His wonderful kingdom.
V “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto
thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Lu. 23:43).
V “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and
where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (Jn. 12:26).
V “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn.
14:2–3).
V “For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord” (1 Th. 4:16–17).
V “And the Lord shall deliver me from every
evil work, and will preserve me unto
his heavenly kingdom: to whom be
glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2
Ti. 4:18).
V “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:24).
8) The righteous will receive the spoils—the wealth and possessions—of their enemies (v. 23). Just as the Jews recovered all the plunder the Assyrian army left behind when the soldiers fled, so believers will inherit all the riches of both heaven and earth. This is the wonderful promise of the Lord.
V “But lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal” (Mt.
6:20).
V “Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the
world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours”
(1 Co. 3:22).
V “By faith Moses, when he was come to years,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in
Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (He. 11:24–26).
V “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God
chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he
hath promised to them that love him?” (Js. 2:5).
V “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in
the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be
clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see” (Re. 3:18).
V “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I
will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create
the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him
that is far off, and to him that is
near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him” (Is. 57:18–19).
V “Then shall thy light break forth as the
morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness
shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward” (Is. 58:8).
V “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth” (Je. 33:6).
9) The righteous will never again be sick or unhealthy (v. 24). The Lord will do away with all disease and sickness when He establishes His kingdom on earth. No longer will the righteous shed tears due to sickness and disease.
V “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters:
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Re. 7:17).
V “And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Re. 21:4).
V “He will swallow up death in victory; and the
Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people
shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it” (Is. 25:8).
V “Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall
return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall
obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow
and mourning shall flee away” (Is.
51:11).
V “Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall
thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and
the days of thy mourning shall be ended” (Is. 60:20).
V “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. 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” (Is.
65:19–20).
V “Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all” (Je. 31:12).
10) The righteous will be forgiven all their sins in the Messiah’s kingdom. All the citizens of His kingdom will be cleansed from every evil thought that has crossed their minds and from every sinful act they have ever committed. They will be counted righteous and accepted by the Lord.
V “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and
thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And
that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Lu.
24:46–47).
V “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is
preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Ac. 13:38).
V “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom
ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to
give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of
these things; and so is also the Holy
Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Ac. 5:30–32).
V “There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit [in the righteousness of
Christ]” (Ro. 8:1).
V “In whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ep. 1:7).
V “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).
V “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will
have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Is. 55:7).
V “And they shall teach no more every man his
neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all
know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for
I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Je. 31:34).
V “And I will cleanse them from all their
iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their
iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed
against me” (Je. 33:8).
V “It may be that the house of Judah will hear
all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man
from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin” (Je. 36:3).
V
“In
those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be
sought for, and there shall be none;
and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom
I reserve” (Je. 50:20).[2]
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
1 The New Scofield Reference Bible. Edited by C.I. Scofield. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1967), Isaiah 33:22.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah (Chapters 1–35). Vol. I. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.33.nlt
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