Isaiah 59-63
Original Post:  August 7, 2014

It is so encouraging to hear how God desires to bless and reward His people!   If we would only stay close to Him, what great privileges would be ours!   These chapters are filled with ways that God promises to bless the people.  There will be peace, prosperity, long life, fruitful fields, large families, an abundance of the best building materials, wealth will pour in from other places.   The Lord says that He will be the sun, and there will never be any night.   That sounds more like heaven than earth.  

So, is God speaking of heaven in this passage?   And if He is, then why speak of distant nations bringing treasure to the holy city?   There won't be any distant nations in heaven.  

It would appear the walls of the city will all be rebuilt, and the gates will never be closed.   That's repeated in Revelation.  In fact much of this description is familiar in Revelation.   I find myself wondering if this passage is looking forward to the end of time, or the end of the exile.   Perhaps the second temple, built by Zerubbabel and improved upon by Herod is what is spoken of here.    The roads being created would then fit with the message of John the Baptist, who cried out to make "straight paths in the wilderness".  And, it would fit with the Roman strategy of building highways between their cities.

I am curious to know if the temple is rebuilt before the millennium.   (before the tribulation and return of Christ)    It says in 60:7 that sacrifices will be made on the altar.  That would require a temple, wouldn't it?   So if this passage is before the tribulation, then the temple would have to be rebuilt.   If it's after the tribulation, then it wouldn't matter.    And why do we need sacrifices anyway?   Isn't that part of history complete?    So, perhaps the text speaks of the return from captivity, or of the days of Jesus.   If that's the case, then the nations bringing wealth and the gates never being closed are out of place.

It' s a mystery to me, but a tantalizing one.

Having said all that, let's celebrate the goodness and benevolence of our God today.  He is willing to forgive when we have erred, He is willing to restore, and even to improve our condition so that it is better than it was originally.  

Praise the Lord!

PR