Bible Commentaries

Zion the Bride of Jehovah.

The prophecy concerning the glory of Zion's perfection here reaches the highest point of exaltation: the congregation of the redeemed as the bride and spouse of the Lord.

v. 1. For Zion's sake will I not hold My peace, so the Lord calls out through His prophet, in His eagerness to picture the glory which would pertain to Zion in the new dispensation, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, He will not feel satisfied, He will not abate in His zeal, until the righteousness thereof, the salvation guaranteed by His covenant, go forth as brightness, like the light of the dawn, and the salvation thereof as a lamp, a torch or cresset, that burneth, dispelling the gloom and darkness of ignorance.

v. 2. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, the salvation intended to be revealed to the whole world, and all kings thy glory, the mighty ones of the earth noting the revelation of God's mercy upon His Zion; and thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name, this in itself being a distinction which shows the exceeding greatness of God's love to lost and condemned mankind.

v. 3. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory, a glorious diadem, in the hand of the Lord, under His gracious protection, and a royal diadem, a turban of the finest material, in the hand of thy God, ready to be placed upon His head. Cf Mal 3:17; Rev 6:2; Rev 19:12.

v. 4. Thou, Jerusalem, representing the Church of Christ, shalt no more be termed Forsaken, as a wife deserted by her husband; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate, as a mother forsaken by her children; but thou shalt be called Heplizi-bah (My delight is in her), and thy land Beulah (Thou art married), as a testimony of the relation existing between the Church and Jehovah, her Lord; for the Lord delighteth in thee, as the first name states, and thy land shall be married, as the second name says, not only ownership, but also protection by Jehovah being implied.

v. 5. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy Sons marry thee, the land being returned to the possession of the children of Zion, the Church coming into her own; and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, with a chaste and exalted delight, so shall thy God rejoice over thee, for He delights in glorifying His Church, in entering into the most intimate fellowship with her. Having thus stated His relation to His Zion, the Lord now urges the watchmen of His Church to insist upon His fulfilling His promise.

v. 8. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, the prophets and teachers who were to be on the lookout for the enemies, lest disaster overtake His flock, which shall never hold their peace day nor night, being engaged continually in promoting the glorification of Zion; ye that make mention of the Lord, the inhabitants of Zion, including the children of strangers who had joined them, keep not silence. All those who confess their faith in the Lord, teachers and hearers, should give themselves and the Lord no rest until their glorification is accomplished, as the text continues:

v. 7. And give Him no rest till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth, so that His Church will be an object of praise and of reverence throughout the world.

v. 8. The Lord hath sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength, in a most solemn oath, with the definite assurance that His almighty power is able to carry out His will, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies, as had been the case whenever the enemies invaded the land, and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine for the which thou hast labored, enjoy the fruits of the Church's labor;

v. 9. but they that have gathered it shall eat it, the believers enjoying what they had worked for with such trouble, and praise the Lord, and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of My holiness, in connection with sacrifices of thanksgiving made in honor of the Lord. The believers are the only truly happy people in the world, and they enjoy the blessings of the Lord with due thankfulness. Moreover, they invite all the children of Zion to share their happiness and the name given them by Jehovah.

v. 10. Go through, go through the gates, so the members of the Church appeal to the strangers without, asking them to assemble in their own cities and make ready for the final great home-coming; prepare ye the way of the people, removing all obstacles and hindrances; cast up, cast up the highway, preparing the road as for the movement of a large army; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people, so that they all might gather under the banner of the Cross.

v. 11. Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, so that all nations could hear the glorious message, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh, namely, in the person of the Messiah. Behold, His reward is with Him and His work before Him, for He brings the trophies of His victory over all the enemies of mankind and offers them to His believers.

v. 12. And they shall call them, the children of Zion, the believers, the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, those who have received and are enjoying the salvation prepared for them; and thou, Zion herself, shalt be called "sought out," many-people being eager to partake of the deliverance which the Church enjoys, a city not forsaken, one whose streets are always alive with people desiring to receive the benefit of the salvation offered to all men in the Gospel-message which she proclaims. This inner glory of the Church is hers even here in time, in the midst of the tribulations of these latter days, and it will he hers without cover or measure in the eternal home above.