Title: The Future of God's People / Isaiah 27
The future of God's people
Isaiah 27
1. The Final Judgment and the Song of the Vineyard (1-6)
① God will ultimately destroy the power of Satan.(1)
Now, the destruction of Leviathan is presented as the culmination of God's judgment. The reality of Leviathan, described here as a serpent and a dragon, is interpreted as Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt, which were oppressing Israel at that time. But the point is that these nations represent the power of Satan who exerts great influence behind the world. Therefore, God will surely punish Leviathan, symbolized by the power of evil, in the last days.
② God ultimately loves His people (2-6)
Immediately after Isaiah mentions the bitter judgment, he expresses God's love in the tender vineyard. Because even in the midst of the climax of judgment, God confirms the fact that He loves His covenant people unchangingly and comforts His people.
2. Discipline against God's people (7-11)
① Meaning of discipline suffered by God's people (7-9)
God punishes Israel for its injustice. However, it is fundamentally different from when you punish your enemies. He judges his enemies cruelly and thoroughly, but he disciplines his chosen people moderately enough to repent. Because the purpose of punishment in the Gentile nations is judgment, but in Israel the purpose of discipline is restoration.
Therefore, for the saints, discipline is a process of training.
② Judgment against the nations (10-11)
Unlike the Israelites, Assyria and Babylon, which boasted a strong city and tormented their chosen people, would be completely destroyed. This is because the Gentile nations have no awareness of God even in the midst of judgment. Those who do not acknowledge and serve God cannot receive God's grace and love.
3. The future of God's people (12-13)
① The restoration of God's people is both global and personal (12).
Isaiah symbolically depicts the territories of the David and Solomon era, the heyday of Israel in the past, and depicts the global nature of the Restoration. The restoration of God's people is not limited to any one region, but is universal and unlimited. At the same time, it is not given to everyone in the world, but is individually called by God individually.
② God will be worshiped by restoring His people.(13)
When God's restoration is realized, the scattered people of Israel return to Jerusalem to rejoice in their final victory and praise God's glory.