Season 6, Podcast 111, Isaiah 52:1-15, “How Beautiful Upon the Mountains.”

Season 6, Podcast 111, Isaiah 52:1-15, “How Beautiful Upon the Mountains.”

Isaiah Chapters 1-51 have prepared us for Isaiah Chapter 52. Shortly after the death of Solomon, around 931-930 BC, the twelve tribes of Israel split. The ten tribes of the north—Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, and Manasseh—referred to as Ephraim or Israel, appointed as their king, Jeroboam. The two tribes of the south—Judah and Benjamin—referred to as Judah, were led by Rehoboam, son of Solomon. Rehoboam refused to reduce taxes imposed by King Solomon, causing the schism. The Northern Tribes became enemies to the Southern Tribes. The Assyrians conquered the Northern Tribes in 732 BC. The Northern Tribes were taken into captivity. They lost their Promised Land and are now known to history as The Ten Lost Tribes. The Southern Tribes, after three invasions, were carried into captivity by the Babylonians in 597 BC where they remained in slavery for 70 years. Babylon was conquered by the Persians under King Cyrus the Great in 539 BC. King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. The Jews were later conquered by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, 332 BC, and later the Romans in 63 BC. The Romans destroyed the second temple and the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the Diaspora was complete. All twelve tribes were scattered throughout the earth.

Isaiah 52 talks not only about the gathering of all twelve tribes but also the gathering of all those who Accept Christ at his Second Coming. 

Isaiah 52:1

1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

“Put on thy strength, O Zion” refers to the gathering of the Northern Tribes. “Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem” refers to the gathering of the Jews and of course Benjamin who have lost their identity being entirely assimilated with the Jews. Before the gathering, a great change will occur for as Isaiah said, “there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.” In other words, there will be a purifying of all the tribes of Israel before the Second Coming of Christ when they shall be restored to the Promised Land. 

Isaiah 52:2

2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

“Shake thyself from the dust” refers to a spiritual rebirth. “Sit down, O Jerusalem” refers to their being reestablished as a nation. “Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.’ Refers to the restoration and purification of the Ten Lost Tribes.

The Lord puts the blame for the Diaspora squarely upon the shoulders of Israel and Judah. Nonetheless, the Lord, Jesus Christ, shall redeem them.

Isaiah 52:3

3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

In the following verse the Lord refers to their former bondage both to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians.

Isaiah 52:4

4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

Remember that the Lord is no respecter of persons. He condemns those who oppressed his chosen people.

Isaiah 52:5

5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

But once again his chosen, who fell into idol worship, shall reacquaint themselves with their true God.

Isaiah 52:6

6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.