Awake, Awake, Arise O Jerusalem!

By Dan and Brenda Cathcart

The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/3XLYpXmwjpQ

The scripture reading is Isaiah 51:12-52:12

Our Haftarah reading this week is near the end of a portion of the book of Isaiah known as the “Song of the Servant.” This passage contains some very familiar verses that have been incorporated into some popular worship music. In this section, Isaiah speaks of the returning exiles, not only from Babylon, but a future return to the land which is unprecedented in its scale. Unlike much of the words of the prophets, Isaiah opens this prophecy with words of encouragement rather than words of judgment.

Isaiah 51:12-13 NKJV 12 "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? 13 And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?

In the first section of our Isaiah passage, God makes a contrast between fearing God and fearing man. He makes the distinction between the mortality of Man and the greatness and majesty of Himself as creator. Could the people really trust God?  Is God truly the omnipotent God of the universe? This is the question expressed by the people throughout the book of Isaiah.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God is showing the people of Israel that He is indeed above the manmade idols that they had been worshiping. That he alone is the one who is capable of delivering the comfort which they are seeking. Israel was acting as if they were more afraid of man than of God. They feared their idols made of stone and wood; they feared their oppressors who, like themselves, were mere men destined to die and are “made like grass” which dies in the parched desert. The word translated as man in this verse is not “adam” or “ish” but is “enowsh” number 582 in the Strong’s Concordance implying the humanity, commonness and mortality of man.

Isaiah ends his opening statement with his usual literary vehicle, a rhetorical question, “Where is the fury of the oppressor?” Even their oppression is for only a season as Isaiah points out in the very next verse.

Isaiah 51:14 NKJV 14 The captive exile hastens, that he may be loosed, That he should not die in the pit, And that his bread should not fail.

Here we see that the exile will not be permanent. Some scholars believe that this verse refers to their change in status when Babylon fell to king Cyrus nearly overnight and the people of Israel gained some freedoms under this empire and did not waste away in a dungeon or pit. But I see this verse as speaking of a return from exile yet to come, far in the future from their Babylonian exile. Again, with this verse, we see that their deliverance happens quickly as in an instant. This is reminiscent of a verse at the end of the book of Isaiah which we read last week.

Isaiah 66:8 NKJV 8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.

Next, God spoke through Isaiah with some amazing words of comfort. God again declares that they are His people.

Isaiah 51:15-16 NKJV 15 But I am the LORD your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared-The LORD of hosts is His name. 16 And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, 'You are My people.'"

These are amazing promises that God made to His people. One of the more interesting things in these two verses is the two names or identities of God. The first is where God says, “I am the LORD your God.” The Hebrew phrase is “Yahovah Elohekah” which implies God’s personal and covenant keeping nature. The second is “the LORD of Hosts,” Yahovah Tsa’va’ot, which implies a military leader. A variation on this name first appears when Joshua prepares to take the city of Jericho and encounters the Captain of the LORD of Hosts.

Joshua 5:14-15 NKJV 14 So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" 15 Then the Commander of the LORD'S army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Isaiah reminds the people that even though they have been afflicted with human oppressors, God, with His army, would deliver them and He would keep His covenantal promise to them.

Isaiah now turns to another aspect of God’s deliverance of the people from their oppressors. God will now remove the cup of judgment or “anger” from His people.

Isaiah 51:17-18 NKJV 17 Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out. 18 There is no one to guide her Among all the sons she has brought forth; Nor is there any who takes her by the hand Among all the sons she has brought up.

Isaiah calls out to Jerusalem to wake herself up as if she has been sleeping. But why had she been asleep? From the broader context of the Song of the Servant, we can conclude that this was a kind of drunken sleep. Not a literal drunkenness, but a kind of spiritual drunkenness from the “cup of trembling.” The word translated as trembling is “tar-ay-law”, number 8653 meaning reeling or astonishment. It is from the root word, raw-al number 7477 meaning to reel, to brandish. The word implies anger. They were sleeping from their drunkenness on God’s anger or judgment. It was now time for them to awaken from their stupor; time for them to arise because God had removed His judgment or anger from them.

Isaiah then reminds them of the devastation and destruction that had befallen them due to their disobedience.

Isaiah 51:19-20 NKJV 19 These two things have come to you; Who will be sorry for you? -Desolation and destruction, famine and sword-By whom will I comfort you? 20 Your sons have fainted, They lie at the head of all the streets, Like an antelope in a net; They are full of the fury of the LORD, The rebuke of your God.

Here God explains in no uncertain terms what has happened to them. God made them drink from the cup of His anger: devastation and destruction. The devastation had to do with famine and other natural disasters which they faced.  These were a direct consequence of disobedience and were part of the covenant described in Deuteronomy chapters 27-29. Such devastation was supposed to lead the people back to repentance. The second was destruction from warfare and sword. They faced this when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, leaving the land desolate.

In the next two verses, God explains that He has removed this “cup” from them and will, in turn, give it to their former oppressors.

Isaiah 51:21-23 NKJV 21 Therefore please hear this, you afflicted, And drunk but not with wine. 22 Thus says your Lord, The LORD and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: "See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. 23 But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, 'Lie down, that we may walk over you.' And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over."

Here is where there is an interpretive difficulty. Up until now, all of Isaiah’s prophecy could easily be attributed to fulfillment at the time of the Babylonian exile and return.  But the phrase “You shall no longer drink it” clearly does not apply to that day. This “cup” of God’s judgment fell on them again several times including the repeat of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD by the Romans, not to mention the terrible devastation the people faced in the holocaust of the last century. Clearly this portion of Isaiah’s prophecy is speaking of a time yet to come. It is not unusual for the prophets to intermix prophetic events both near and far off. This practice clearly demonstrates the repeating patterns found in prophetic fulfillment.

In the opening verse of chapter fifty-two, it seems Isaiah repeats fifty-one seventeen.

Isaiah 52:1 NKJV 1 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you.

There are several things to take a closer look at in this verse. First of all, besides awakening from her drunken stupor, Isaiah now calls Jerusalem the “holy city.” This is a reference to Jerusalem used eleven times in the scriptures with Isaiah using it twice. By referring to the city as now holy, Isaiah is stating the God will cleanse the city of her unrighteousness. She will be transformed from a city of idolatry and harlotry, to a city like a beautiful bride and a place where God will be worshiped.

The phrase about the uncircumcised and the unclean not entering the city is about the enemies among the nations.  They will no longer oppress the city and its inhabitants; they will no longer be able to storm her gates.

Having this amazing promise come to them, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are then given a special instruction to rise up and shake off the dust of their oppression.

Isaiah 52:2-3 NKJV 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! 3 For thus says the LORD: "You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money."

In judgment, God gave Israel over to her enemies and it is God who will redeem Israel. The word “redeem” in verse three is “Gaw-al” number 1350 a primitive root word meaning literally to redeem as in the next of kin buying back a relative’s property or marrying his widow, such as we read in the book of Ruth.  The word always seems to imply the exchange of money. But in the case of Isaiah fifty-two verse three, there is no monetary exchange. God will redeem them but not with money.  This give a hint of redemption by Messiah Yeshua.

In verses four through six, God speaks to some specifics.

Isaiah 52:4-6 NKJV 4 For thus says the Lord GOD: "My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here," says the LORD, "That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail," says the LORD, "And My name is blasphemed continually every day. 6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.'"

Several of Israel’s oppressors are mentioned; first is Egypt where the Children of Israel sought refuge from the famine and were welcomed by Pharaoh. Later, under another Pharaoh, they were placed under oppressive slavery for no cause.

The second is Assyria who were particularly skilled at harassing Israel and Judah but took it so far as to attack Jerusalem. The third oppressor is not mentioned by name but is alluded to in verse five as those who carries them away. Babylon came against Judah but perhaps went beyond God’s purposes of judgment on the people, oppressing them sharply causing them to wail and blaspheme the name of God. Then in verse six, Isaiah is telling them of the promise that God will redeem His people even before they are taken into captivity in Babylon.

At verse seven, Isaiah’s prophecy begins speaking of a time in the distant future when the Davidic kingdom is reestablished and Messiah reigns.

Isaiah 52:7 NKJV 7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

This paints a picture of runners hurrying up the mountains to proclaim the arrival of the king! Verse seven speaks of four specific announcements. First there is the announcement of peace. Israel’s enemies are no longer at their gates. In fact, they are nowhere to be found. Second is the good news of the restoration of the Davidic dynasty and with it, the coming of Messiah. The third thing proclaimed is salvation, not only a spiritual salvation but a physical salvation where the righteous remnant is rescued from destruction and returned to the restored land. And fourth is the announcement of the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth. First Fruits of Zion in their work “Torah Club Volume 3: The Haftarah summarizes:

“When the announcer of good news in Isaiah proclaims peace, good news, salvation, and the arrival of God’s kingdom, it is understood that none of those wonderful things will happen apart from the atoning work of Messiah. It is because of Him that true peace will come upon the earth”[i]

As we see portions of prophecy being played out in our day, God will one day, when the time is right, literally save His people from their enemies that surround them. Next Isaiah speaks of watchmen.

Isaiah 52:8-10 NKJV 8 Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the LORD brings back Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God.

In the ancient world it was a common practice to place watchmen on the hill tops and other high places to safeguard the cities from would-be intruders. These watchmen of Judah and Jerusalem will witness firsthand the multitude of returning people to the land and will rejoice with singing.

In relating what the watchmen see, Isaiah uses language that recalls the exodus from Egypt. However, Isaiah is describing an event that will far exceed the exodus from Egypt and is well beyond the scope of the returning refugees from Babylon. They would not flee Babylon as refugees but would leave escorted by God. This massive future return will be similar to that of Egypt and Babylon but on a grander scale and at the calling of God.

Isaiah 52:11-12 NKJV 11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the LORD. 12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

There is an urgency to this call of God. The implication is that they have, or will have, received their spiritual cleansing while still in the far-off places. They are to depart and remain clean. The levites charged with the carrying temple vessels are to purify themselves. And they will not have to leave in hast as they did from Egypt.

The last thing that Isaiah tells them is that the LORD will go before them and will guard their rear. Very reminiscent of the Children of Israel at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit, when God place Himself at their backs preventing Pharaoh’s army from even seeing them and allowing Israel to cross the sea on dry ground.

With this Haftarah reading, we have reached the penultimate point in the Song of the Servant. Up until now Isaiah has detailed the story of the plight of God’s people. Much of which is still in the future and yet to happen. Isaiah, like all the prophets, interspersed his prophecy with both near future and far distant events.

Immediately beyond our Haftarah reading, beginning with chapter fifty-two verse thirteen and continuing through chapter fifty-three, we are given the identity of the ultimate redeemer of Israel. He is none other than Messiah Yeshua who would be the atonement needed to restore the people and the land. Yeshua is the redeemer, the Gaw-al, who would purchase back the inheritance which was sold or taken from the people. This redemption cannot be purchased with money. Isaiah showed the people that they can truly trust God and that He alone has the power to redeem them. It is only through Messiah Yeshua and His blood that redemption, salvation, and restoration is achieved.

Study Questions:

1. Discuss the connection of this teaching to the Torah Portion Shoftim Deut. 16:18-21:19.

2. Compare the apostle Paul’s quotation of Isaiah in Romans 10, how does it differ from Isaiah’s own usage?

3. Isaiah speaks of the “cup” of God’s judgment. Compare the cup as described by Isaiah with the “cup” Yeshua speaks of while praying in the garden.

4. At the end of our Haftarah reading, Isaiah 52:11-12, God calls His people to depart, to “go out from the midst of her.” What are they departing from?  Compare this call with God’s call to “come out of her” found in Revelation 18:4.

5. With what is Jerusalem to clothe herself with in Isaiah 52:1? 

6. What new insight did you gain from this teaching? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you realign your life based on this new understanding?

Bonus Question: What does it mean for the LORD to “bare His arm” in Isaiah 52:10?

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[i] FFOZ Torah Club Vol. 3 p747