A Picture Of The Church
Isaiah 62 portrays an amazing picture of the church, illustrating what God will do on the church’s behalf as it follows after Him. As Isaiah refers to Zion and to Jerusalem, it is prophetically speaking about the church. You will see here, a status of the church that God intentionally secured for His church. This status of the church was secured for it in the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God. The fullness of that, about which it speaks, is powerfully realized when the members of the body of Christ individually decide, and corporately encourage one another, to engage in what He has already accomplished in Christ as we humble ourselves, pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. It is only as we do this, that the world will find relief from its troubles.
Remember, as you read Isaiah 62, when Zion and Jerusalem are mentioned, they are a prophetic reference to the church as well as the Israelites in the Old Testament, presenting how God relates to and sees us, the church.
Isaiah 62
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will designate.
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal headband in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,” Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”; But you will be called, “My delight is in her,” And your land, “Married”; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the groom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.
On your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who profess the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; And give Him no rest until He establishes And makes Jerusalem an object of praise on the earth.
The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm:
“I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies, Nor will foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.” But those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD; And those who gather it will drink it in the courtyards of My sanctuary.
Go through, go through the gates, Clear a way for the people! Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a flag over the peoples.
Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
Isaiah 62 (In stanza format, rather than the paragraph format, as seen above.)
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her salvation like a torch that is burning.
The nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the LORD will designate.
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
And a royal headband in the hand of your God.
It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,”
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”;
But you will be called, “My delight is in her,”
And your land, “Married”;
For the LORD delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the groom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.
On your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen;
All day and all night they will never keep silent.
You who profess the LORD, take no rest for yourselves;
And give Him no rest until He establishes
And makes Jerusalem an object of praise on the earth.
The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm:
“I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies,
Nor will foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.”
But those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD;
And those who gather it will drink it in the courtyards of My sanctuary.
Go through, go through the gates,
Clear a way for the people!
Build up, build up the highway,
Remove the stones, lift up a flag over the peoples.
Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation is coming;
Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.”
And they will call them, “The holy people,
The redeemed of the LORD”;
And you will be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Abandoned.”