Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 27

Verse 1

Isa 27:1

Isaiah 27:1

MORE ON THE FINAL JUDGMENT

As Jamieson noted, "This chapter is a continuation of Isaiah 24; Isaiah 25; and Isaiah 26,” and therefore a conclusion of Division III, all four of these chapters dealing with the eternal judgment.

The outstanding and most challenging thing in the chapter is the very first verse where it is revealed that "in that day" Almighty God will take his terrible sword and slay the principal three enemies of God. The day when that will occur is the final judgment. The scholars like to talk about mythical creatures called Leviathan; and it seems to be certain enough that the three terrible dragons suggested by this passage constituted a part of the mythology of the ancient world; "But it is equally clear that Isaiah is here using these names metaphorically, to describe historical enemies of God.”

We are able absolutely to identify these three terrible enemies because of the Revelation to the Apostle John, the last half of which (with the exception of the last two chapters) introduces those three terrible enemies one at a time, and then, in the reverse order, describes the final and total overthrow of each one of them. Thus (1) The great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns was the first introduced and the last to be destroyed.

Revelation 12:9 identifies that "Great Red Dragon" as "The old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world."

(2) The second of God’s three greatest enemies was the sea-monster, the terrible enemy of God appearing here (Revelation 13) in the very image of the Devil himself, having "seven heads and ten horns." This creature came up out of the sea and in Revelation is called "the beast," that is the "sea beast" who worshipped the Devil; and the Devil gave his power, his throne, and his authority to the sea beast (Revelation 13:2-8).

(3) The third great enemy of God and of all mankind who was introduced in the Apocalypse of John was also a beast, "coming up out of the earth" (Revelation 13:11); but his horns like a lamb, along with his lying miracles, identify him as a religious beast, referred to subsequently in the Apocalypse as "the false prophet." As someone said, "He was the land-beast, the dirty one!" His utility, however, was exactly that of the sea-beast; he caused all men to worship the sea-beast, and both of them were effective allies of the Devil.

Now it is not difficult to see the correspondence between these three enemies and the three terrible creatures appearing here in Isaiah 27:1. Oddly enough, these three great enemies appear here in the same order that their destruction is prophesied in Revelation. The use of the name "serpent" for the first two (the swift serpent and the crooked serpent) refers to the "beast" and the "false prophet" in Revelation; and the use of "dragon" (KJV), one of the specific names of the Devil himself (Revelation 12:9), refers to Satan.

One of the most exciting and interesting things in all the Bible is the apocalyptic account of the destruction of these same three enemies, in the reverse order of their introduction. Thus (1) the false prophet (false religion) was destroyed in Revelation 17-18; (2) the sea-beast (apostate government hostile to God) was destroyed in Isaiah 19; and (3) the Devil himself was destroyed in Isaiah 20. How were they all destroyed? By being cast into the lake of fire. They were not destroyed separately but all alike simultaneously were cast into hell. The horrible meaning of this is that hostile human government, apostate religion, and the operations of Satan shall continue until the end of time.

Isaiah 27:1

Thus we find right here in Isaiah 27:1 what might serve as the topic sentence of the last half of the Book of Revelation!. It is not necessary to suppose that Isaiah himself had any inkling of the full meaning of what God revealed in this verse through Isaiah.

"In that day Jehovah with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the swift serpent, and Leviathan the crooked serpent; and he will slay the monster that is in the sea."

Note that there are three descriptions of God’s sword: hard and great and strong. Of course, men know almost nothing about the "sword" of God; but one does not proceed very far in the Bible until it is encountered. Cheyne identified it with the "turning sword by the cherubim,” which God placed eastward in the Garden of Eden "to keep the way of the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24). It is of interest that sea-monster in our version is rendered "dragon" in the KJV and that this is one of the names of Satan (Revelation 12:9).

The mythological background of these great enemies points to the sea, or the Nile river (the same being called the `sea’ frequently in scripture) and to two other great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. Dummelow pointed out that:

"The powers hostile to God’s people are here symbolically represented as monsters. Leviathan the swift serpent perhaps stands for Assyria, watered by the rapid Tigris, and Leviathan the crooked serpent stands for Babylon, whose river was the winding Euphrates. The dragon (sea-monster) or crocodile stands for Egypt as in Isaiah 51:9.”

Cheyne agreed with this, stating that, "Most critics believe that three separate kingdoms are referred to under these symbols, Assyria, Babylon and Egypt.” It is significant that none of the critics have ever supposed for a moment that Isaiah gave any credence whatever to any of the myths. Their terminology indeed appears here and there in the Bible, but always in a symbolical or metaphorical sense.

Any argument from passages like this to the effect that Satan is a myth must rank as the height of absurdity. Christ taught his disciples to pray, "Deliver us from the evil one!" (Matthew 6:13).

Kidner believed that the graphic description of the destruction of God’s triple enemies on earth, Satan, False Religion, and God-hating Government, as depicted in this verse, "Is the same all-embracing judgment as in Isaiah 24:21, where `the host of heaven’ corresponds to `Leviathan’ here, as indicated by, `The Devil and his angels’ (Revelation 12:7 ff).”

Isaiah 27:1 MONSTER DEFEATED: Two Hebrew words in this verse may be translated monster; they are liveyathan and thaniyn. Liveyathan is translated crocodile in Job 41:1 (RSV) and thaniyn is translated serpent in most uses. In Ezekiel 29:3; Ezekiel 32:2, thaniyn is translated dragon, refering to Egypt. Some commentators have concluded that the first leviathan, since it is swift, symbolizes Nineveh (Assyria) built upon the swift, serpent-like Tigris River, while the second, winding, crooked, leviathan symbolizes Babylon built upon the winding, serpentlike Euphrates River, and the monster that is in the sea symbolizes Egypt.

It is evident from the context (chapters 24–27) the prophet is speaking of that day of the Messianic fulfillment (the first coming of Christ and the establishment of the church). Then what is the leviathan to be punished or slain? Obviously it refers to all the enemies of God and His people who were defeated at the first coming of Christ (cf. Ephesians 4:8; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8; John 12:31; John 16:11; Matthew 12:29; Luke 10:18, etc.) In the book of Revelation the Roman empire is referred to as the beast, false prophet and harlot, who is allied with Satan (called the great dragon). (cf. Revelation 13 through 20) But the beast, false prophet, and harlot are defeated and cast into the lake of fire. The dragon (Satan) is bound for a thousand years, then loosed for a short time and finally cast into the lake of fire forever with the beast. Daniel chapters 7 and 8 refer to the enemies of God as various beasts. Wherever the spirit of opposition to God has appeared, in whatever kingdom it may be, Satan is the author of it. He is the motivating spirt in all the forces that oppose God’s rule in the universe. Perhaps in one area he assumes one characteristic, while in another he assumes still another characteristic. In Isaiah’s day great world empires (Assyria, Babylon and Egypt) were the leviathans standing opposed to God’s rule in creation (cf. Ezekiel 29:3; Ezekiel 32:2; Jeremiah 51:34; Isaiah 51:9; with Dan. ch. 7 & 8). The leviathan’s (monster, serpent, dragon) strongest and most potent weapon against God and His people is deception. Isaiah points, in this section, to that day when the feast will be made, the veil is removed from all nations, and death is swallowed up forever. Leviathan, with all his power to deceive and hold man in bondage to the fear of death will be “cast out, judged and triumphed over,” when the Messiah brings “life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

Verses 2-6

Isa 27:2-6

Isaiah 27:2-6

"In that day: A vineyard of wine, sing ye unto it. I Jehovah am its keeper; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Wrath is not in me: would that the briers and thorns were against me in battle! I would march upon them, I would burn them together. Or else let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; yea, let him make peace with me. In days to come shall Jacob take root; Israel shall blossom and bud; and they shall fill the face of the world with fruit."

"This is a joy-song, set over against the dirge recorded in Isaiah 5:1-7." Both regard the Lord’s vineyard; but the one in Isaiah 5:1-7 is the object of God’s disapproval and judgment; and the one here is a vineyard approved and protected by the Lord. "The first one of these is beyond all doubt the Jewish Church in the times of Isaiah"; and the one here in this chapter is just as certainly identified with the New Israel of God, namely, the Church of Jesus Christ our Lord. "In the end of the age there will be occasion for a counterpart to the Mournful Vineyard song of Isaiah. Redeemed Israel will be the vineyard that a holy God may properly protect from its foes." The mention of God’s watering and caring for the vineyard is the same promise found in Matthew 28:18-20.

The text in this portion of the chapter has suffered somewhat, and many have pointed out that it is very difficult in places. Gleason’s rendition of Isaiah 27:4 here appears to be a viable option in meaning: "The Berkeley Version translates this verse 4 thus: `There is no wrath now with Me. Should I find thorn-bushes and briers in it, I would fight them and burn them altogether.’"

"Make peace with me; yea, let him make peace with me ..." (Isaiah 27:5). Many have observed that in this verse is revealed God’s purpose of converting his enemies into friends and of saving, if possible, even those who oppose his plans. "God’s enemies he is willing to spare if they will surrender their hostility."

Isaiah 27:6 speaks of "filling the face of the world" with the fruit of Israel; but this is a reference to the efforts and success of Christian evangelism throughout the world. As Hailey expressed it, "The first vineyard is national Israel in the past; and the new vineyard is the spiritual Israel," that is, the kingdom-church of our Lord.

Isaiah 27:7-11 speak of God’s judgments against his people and of desolation and captivity brought upon his people by their sins and transgression; but they also speak of God’s mercy, God’s partiality, and God’s purpose in those privations, designed not to destroy but to redeem his people. There seems to be no well organized paragraph in this passage, so we shall note the implications one verse at a time.

Isaiah 27:2-6 MERCY DISPENSED: At the same time, on the same day, Jehovah defeats the “monster” He dispenses mercy to all men. God’s vineyard (the covenant people) in that day (the church) will be producing according to His wishes. It will produce “wine” not “sour grapes” like the vineyard of Isaiah, chapter 5. Its fruitfulness and pleasantness will motivate a response of rejoicing. The Hebrew word ahnu means literally, “to answer, respond to by singing.” Songs of praise, honor and rejoicing for God’s church are appropriate human responses for the mercy God has provided through His new covenant relationship.

Jehovah Himself is the notsrah (keeper) which has the connotation of preserver. He will refresh it constantly. He protects it constantly (cf. Psalms 121:4). The Lord watches over this new vineyard (the church) in such a manner that even the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. There are many enemies ready to destroy the church but not one shall succeed. God’s new vineyard will be invincible. Whatever wrath Jehovah once held for His rebellious vineyard (Isaiah 5), He does not hold for His new vineyard. God’s wrath against His covenant people is removed and punished in Christ. His wrath is still abiding on those who do not believe (cf. John 3:18; John 3:36), but those who believe are made “branches” in the “Vine” (cf. John 15:1-11) and God cherishes them, prunes them, they produce much fruit and have much joy. Since this vineyard is symbolic of the Messianic kingdom it is a prediction of that day when all nations (Isaiah 26:5 ff) are part of it. It is a prediction of the joining (grafting, cf. Romans 11) of the Gentiles with the Hebrews.

If briers and thorns attempt to choke out the vineyard, God will step upon them and crush them, then burn them. There is the challenge of the sovereign God here to His enemies. Nothing foreign to His vineyard can enter and take His vineyard. He will protect and purify it. Destruction is inevitable to the enemies of His vineyard.

There is one alternative open to His enemies. They may “take hold of His strength.” God bids His enemies take refuge in His maoozyi, or His fortress, refuge or stronghold. If the enemy comes into God’s fortress (the church) he does so only after he has made peace with God. The Hebrew word translated make is the most fundamental Hebrew word for make, ashah, and therefore indicates a significant part of the peace between man and God is action initiated by man in making peace with Him. That action is belief, repentance and obedience. When an enemy of God believes, repents and obeys, he is no longer an enemy but has come into God’s stronghold (the new vineyard, the new covenant, the church). The repetition of the phrase, “let him make peace with me,” serves to emphasize God’s merciful grace in offering the invitation to His enemies to come to peace lest they be crushed and burned like weeds (cf. Psalms 2:1-11; Luke 3:7-9; John 15:6, Jeremiah 12:10 ff, etc.)

In days future to Isaiah, Israel will take root. How many days in the future this promise is we are left to surmise from the context. It is obviously speaking of that day of Isaiah 25:6; Isaiah 25:9; Isaiah 26:1; Isaiah 27:1-2, in other words, the day of the Messiah. The Messiah is to be the “shoot” and “branch” out of the stump of Jesse (cf. Isaiah 11:1 ff). The Messianic people will take root, flourish, produce fruit and fill all the earth with its fruit (cf. Hosea 14:4 ff). In the missionary proclamation of the gospel this passage finds it fulfillment, the Israel of God (cf. Galatians 6:14-18).

So, as before in these chapters (24–27), we see the focus of God’s purging, chastening judgments on Judah is the preparation of a remnant through which He may accomplish His Messianic redemption of all mankind. Jews and Gentiles, all enemies of God, will be given opportunity to come into His stronghold (the church) when they have made peace with Him. God’s judgment on Judah in her captivity was not capricious nor malicious but loving and purposeful—God aimed it all at calling to Himself a people zealous of good works.

Verses 7-11

Isa 27:7-11

Isaiah 27:7

"Hath he smitten them as he smote them that smote them? or are they slain according to the slaughter of them that were slain by them?"

Such questions in Hebrew require negative answers; and this verse means that God’s punishments have not been as severe as they might have been. Proof of this is seen in the fact that, whereas, Sodom and Gomorrah were utterly destroyed from the face of the earth for their wickedness; Israel which became `worse than Sodom and Gomorrah’ (Ezekiel 16:47), was dealt with much more leniently.

Isaiah 27:8

"In measure, when thou sendest them away, thou dost contend with them; he hath removed them with his rough blast in the day of the east wind."

This verse is ambiguous. Cheyne stated that `in measure’ here or `in exact measure’ means, "dealing out punishment in carefully adjusted quantities"; The Hebrew word used for dry measure here is "`[~seah],’ meaning one-third of an ephah." This surely reminds us of the judgments connected with the trumpets in Revelation 8:7-8; Revelation 8:10, where we read that only "one third" was allowed in the various destructions prophesied.

In this light, we find it difficult to believe that only God’s judgments of Northern Israel are in view here. It appears to us that this is simply a promise of restraint on God’s part in those judgments poured out on mankind in general during the Messianic age, that clearly being the teaching in the great judgment passages of the Apocalypse.

Isaiah 27:9

"Therefore by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be forgiven, and this all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalk-stones that are beaten in sunder, so that the Asherim and the sun-images shall rise no more."

The mention of "forgiveness" in this passage is a positive indication that the era of the New Covenant is spoken of, and not the history of pre-Christian Israel. There was no forgiveness whatever under the old covenant. For this reason, the crushing of the altars of idols and the cessation of adoration for the Asherim, etc., were indeed the "fruit" of Christianity and positively did not result from God’s pardoning ancient Israel prior to such things and being, in fact, the cause of them. On the other hand, the abolition of idol worship was a direct result, not of anything Israel ever did, but as a result of the gospel.

Here also is a positive and convincing evidence that this portion of Isaiah must be identified with the eighth century (when Isaiah lived) and not with the period of the exile, to which time the critics would dearly love to assign it. "This mention of the Asherim is not what we should expect from a writer living during the Babylonian exile." It is disappointing, however, that Cheyne at once declared that, "The phenomenon is not decisive.” But, of course, it is decisive and carries the positive imprimatur of the times of Isaiah.

Isaiah 27:10

"For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness: there shall the calf feed, there shall he lie down and consume the branches thereof."

This is once more a reference to that time-period mentioned in Revelation 16:9, near the close of the dispensation of the grace of God, when the "cities of the nations" shall fall. This will occur at a time when Adam’s race shall almost have run its course, and when, due to rampant wickedness, God will have no moral choice available except to destroy the sinful world.

Isaiah 27:11

"When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off; the women shall come and set them on fire; for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have compassion upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favor."

This is once more a picture of the judgment of mankind at the last day. It is incorrect to limit this to racial Israel, because racial Israel is not to be destroyed in the total sense until the final reckoning and destruction of all of Adam’s sinful race, except the redeemed of God.

Isaiah 27:7-11 CALL TO REPENTANCE: In view of that day (Isaiah 25:6-9, etc.) and all Jehovah proposes to do with His people, the Lord now calls Judah, through Isaiah, to repent. First the Lord reminds His people that He has dealt with them mercifully. God has not smitten His own people as He has others. It is true He has handled them roughly, but this was for their good, that they might repent. Others (like the Canaanites and Amalekites) were extinguished as a race by the sovereign permission of God working through secondary agents. But He would not allow the covenant people to suffer extinction. He purposed to bring redemption to the whole world through them. However, He cannot work through any people unless they are willing. His firm, often severe, chastening hand rested upon them and will again rest upon them in exile to bring them to repentance. The Hebrew word for measure is saah which means a third part of an ephah. This enforces the idea that God does not extinguish Judah but only carries them away into exile, purifying for Himself a remnant through which He will yet work His redemption.

Isaiah 27:9 shows that the effect of the exile will be the expiation of Judah’s sin. The captivity was the means by which the nation was brought to repentance—not the grounds of their forgiveness. There was no merit in their suffering. The suffering was a means to bring them to repentance. Only when they repented and turned to God could they be forgiven. The fruit worthy of repentance in their case was to be the breaking asunder of their idols and pagan altars and grinding them into chalky obliteration.

Secondly, the Lord directs the attention of Judah to most of the now desolate and ruined cities of Israel, the northern kingdom. The Assyrians have overrun and destroyed most of Israel—only the capital Samaria is left, and it is under siege. Assyrian armies now appear headed for Judah. To refer to a future desolate Jerusalem would have little impact on Isaiah’s audience. But to point to most of Israel already lying in desolate ruins where dead trees and grazing animals are the only inhabitants of its cities would serve as a graphic warning. The accusation that the “people” of these “deserted” cities are “without understanding” fits very well the description of the people of the northern kingdom as Hosea pictured them (Hosea 4:1-6, etc.).

Verses 12-13

Isa 27:12-13

Isaiah 27:12-13

"And it will come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will beat off his fruit from the flood of the River to the brook of Egypt; and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come that were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt; and they shall worship Jehovah in the holy mountain at Jerusalem."

There are a number of things that positively identify this passage as a concluding reference to the final judgment. (1) There is the double mention of "in that day." (2) Also, the sound of the mighty trumpet must be invariably associated with the final judgment. Our Lord said:

"And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:31).

Many of the comments encountered seem to overlook some of the most important conclusions mandated by this passage. Note that no "nation" whatever is mentioned as being gathered in, that no "race" is included; but that the saved shall be gathered "one by one," that is, individually. "Every man shall receive the reward of the deeds done in "his body" (2 Corinthians 5:10). Note also that the return from Assyria and the outcasts of Egypt refer to different generations, pointing to a simultaneous judgment of all peoples and nations at one time, as indicated clearly by Christ in Matthew 25.

"Beat off his fruit ..." (Isaiah 27:12). is a reference to the manner of harvesting such things as olives, which were harvested by threshing the tree, that is, beating off the fruit.

Rawlinson has an interesting interpretation of this passage, stating that, "The imagery here points rather to the final gathering of Israel into the Church triumphant than to the return from Babylonian captivity." This is correct of course in the sense that the return from Babylon is simply not in the passage; but the error of it is in not seeing the final judgment here. Remember the `great trumpet!’ God never did blow the big trumpet when some Jew was converted to Christ! That is an event connected with the second advent and the end of the world.

(The end of Division III)

Isaiah 27:12-13 CALL TO RESTORATION: The predicted exile will have its effect in producing repentance and turning from idolatry back to Jehovah—at least in a faithful remnant. Out of, and through, that remnant restored to Palestine in the days of Ezra, Nehemiah and Zerubbabel will come the fulfillment of the Messianic order idealized and symbolized in this section. That day of Isaiah 27:12-13 are obviously still integral parts of the whole context of this section (ch. 24–27) and refer directly back to the day when the feast is made, the covering is removed and death is swallowed up forever.

Jehovah will have fruit (Hebrew, parah; produce, offspring) from the far reaches of the world as a result of the exiled penitent, restored remnant. The Hebrew word translated gathered is lakat which means literally, collect, pick up, the same word as is used in Exodus 16:5; Exodus 16:16; Exodus 16:26-27, to describe the Israelites collecting manna and quail. He will collect His own one by one, selectively. As Leupold says, “The point is, God’s fatherly care for His own will appear in this that the scattered ones will be most faithfully gathered and made a unit again. Their unity however will express itself in their united worship at the sanctuary . . .”

If our interpretation is correct and that day refers back to the messianic program predicted in chapter 25, then “the great trumpet” to be sounded on that day must be the gospel proclamation which gathered (and is still gathering, collecting, picking) the true Israel of God from the far reaches of the world and uniting them in the worship of Jehovah in Zion, the real and abiding Zion (the church), not the earthly and passing Jerusalem, (see Isaiah 19:16-25,).

Thus closes a very significant section of Isaiah’s message. It is a message to the last, remaining segment of the covenant nation. They are to be judged for their sin and idolatry. But it is the judgment of a merciful and sovereign Lord. He is judging for a purpose. That purpose is to purge the covenant people of their sin in order that they may progress toward the goal Jehovah has for them. That goal is the redemption of all mankind through their Messiah and through them as a messianic people.