Isaiah 61
I. (1-39) Condemnation
A. Chapters 1-12 - ”Prophecies against Israel and Judah
B. Chapters 13-23 - ”Prophecies against the Nations
C. Chapters 24-27 - ”Prophecies of the Day of the Lord
D. Chapters 28-35 - ”Prophecies of Judgment and Blessing
E. Chapters 36-39 - ”Historical accounts
II. (40-66) Consolation
A. Chapters 40-48 - Israel’s God
B. Chapters 49-54 - Israel’s Messiah
C. Chapters 55-66 - Israel’s Opportunity
1. \\#Isa 55:1-56:8\\ An Invitation
2. \\#Isa 56:9-12\\ A Condemnation
3. \\#Isa 57:1-14\\ A Warning
4. \\#Isa 58:1-14\\ A Possibility
5. \\#Isa 59:1-62:12\\ A Commitment
a. \\#Isa 59:1\\ God Is Able
b. \\#Isa 59:2-8\\ But the People Have Chosen Sin
c. \\#Isa 59:9-15\\ The Consequences
d. \\#Isa 59:16-21\\ But God Will Make Things Right
e. \\#Isa 60:1-22\\ A Glorious Future
f. \\#Isa 61:1-11\\ Testimonies
I. \\#Isa 61:1-11\\ Testimonies
A. \\#Isa 61:1-3\\ Isaiah’s Testimony
1. There are two elements to this passage which are prophetic.
a. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath
anointed me to preach good tidings" - The first deals with a Holy
Spirit’s anointing to preach. Isaiah probably thought only of
himself when he gave this testimony of this anointing; however, in
\\#Luke 4:17-21\\, Christ also speaks these words of Himself.
Both Isaiah and Christ preached the same message under the same
Power. It was a message of future deliverance and judgment. In
that aspect, this is a dual reference prophecy, partially
fulfilled by Isaiah but fulfilled in a much greater extent by
Christ.
b. The second element of prophecy relates to the events which will
happen in the future. Isaiah was speaking of both a future
blessing (deliverance and help) and a future curse ("the day of
vengeance of our God").
2. Concerning the events, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He read
the first five events of this passage and declared that their
fulfillment was at hand \\#Luke 4:17-21\\. Those five deal with
freeing prisoners and helping the hurting. Jesus did that during His
first coming to Israel, not to the extent He would have done had
Israel accepted Him, but enough to acknowledge the prophecy was at
least partially fulfilled. The greater fulfillment of the first five
and all remaining events will occur in the tribulation and millennium.
3. \\#1\\ "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me" - The Holy Spirit was the
Source of Isaiah and Jesus’ abilities. While Jesus was on the
earth, He did His miracles in the power of the Holy Ghost
\\#Acts 10:38, Isa 11:2, Matt 12:28\\.
4. \\#1-3\\ That being said, Isaiah begins to list some of the things
which the Holy Ghost is accomplishing through his ministry both to
comfort and warn Israel.
a. The first five events
(1) \\#1\\ "anointed… to preach good tidings unto the meek"
(2) "to bind up the brokenhearted"
(3) "to proclaim liberty to the captives"
(4) "to proclaim… the opening of the prison to them that are
bound"
(5) \\#2\\ "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord"
(6) In \\#Luke 4:17-21\\, Jesus stopped reading after the fifth
event. He stopped because the rest of the events described
would not be fulfilled until the tribulation and millennium.
b. The last events
(1) "To proclaim… the day of vengeance of our God" - This is a
reference to the tribulation.
(2) "to comfort all that mourn" - This event begins to describe
the millennium.
(3) \\#3\\ "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion…" - All of
this verse is given especially to the inhabitants of Mount
Zion.
(a) "… beauty for ashes"
(b) "joy for mourning’
(c) "…praise for… heaviness"
(d) "that they might be called… righteousness… of the Lord"
(e) "that he (the Lord) might be glorified"
B. \\#Isa 61:3-9\\ The Lord’s Testimony
1. \\#Isa 61:8\\ "For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery" - Notice
that Isaiah is again speaking in the first person. Isaiah is relating
the Lord’s testimony concerning Israel’s future.
2. \\#Isa 61:4-5\\ The Lord lists some things that will be in Israel’s
future. These are millennial prophecies.
a. \\#4\\ "they shall build the old wastes… former desolations…
waste cities… of many generations" - Israel will rebuild those
things which have been destroyed, both from recent days and from
years before. It is probable that everything within Israel’s
borders will be destroyed by the anti-Christ during the
tribulation.
b. \\#5\\ "strangers shall… feed your flocks… be your plowman"
This is another reference to Gentiles serving the Jews during the
millennium.
c. \\#6\\\ "ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord" - Here God
gives the reason for having the Gentiles serve the Jews. Israel
will be busy fulfilling their role as priest to the world.
(1) The notion of priests again alluded to the temple work, i.e.
sacrifices.
(2) As the Jews serve as the spiritual "Ministers of our God," we
will serve them by providing "the riches of the Gentiles."
d. \\#7\\ "For your shame ye shall have double" - God will reward
Israel double for the suffering they have endured. It is fitting
that God would reward Israel a "double" reward, for He is also
giving them a "double" judgment.
Isaiah 40:2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare
is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the
LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
e. \\#8\\ "I will direct their work in truth" - God will personally
DIRECT the ministry of the Jews in the future. He will do this
because "I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt
offering." When Israel attempted to serve the Lord in antiquity,
they were not very good at it. They were not "just" in what they
did, and they robbed God’s sacrifices.
f. \\#9\\ "all that see them shall acknowledge… that they are the
seed which the Lord hath blessed" - God’s blessings will be
evident upon Israel.
C. \\#Isa 61:10-11\\ Israel’s Testimony
1. \\#10\\ "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord" - The first person pronoun
now refers to Israel. This will be Israel’s testimony of what God has
done for them. What will God do for Israel?
a. "he hath covered me with… salvation" - God will save them.
b. "he hath covered me with… righteousness" - God has given to Israel
righteousness. This would be the same imputed righteousness that
Christ gives to the church.
c. God will cover Israel with these gifts as "a bridegroom decked
himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her
jewels."
2. \\#11\\ "so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring
forth before all nations" - God’s goodness in the millennium will not
be to the Jews alone. As surely "as the earth bringeth for her bud,"
God will bless the whole world.
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