Old Testament Commentary - Isaiah 63

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 63 Second Coming shall be a day of vengeance and also the year of the redeemed of the Lord—Then shall the saints praise the Lord and acknowledge him as their father.
1 WHO is this that ^acometh from ^bEdom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2 Wherefore art thou ^ared in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the ^bwinefat? 3 I have trodden the ^awinepress alone^a; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be ^bsprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.	3^a alone The Atonement was performed as a one for one relationship concerning the fall of Adam and the redemption of Jesus Christ. True Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world and suffered for them in behalf of all who would repent, obey his commandments and come unto him, but the ordeal of the atonement was Christ's 'alone' to perform. When Luke speaks of a 'angel' in attendance there to strengthen him (Luke 22:39-46), he does not identify who that being was and to presume that that angel was there to bear a part of the weight of the suffering and work of the atoning sacrifice cannot be accepted. As Jesus removed himself a distance from even the three chief appostles, even of them all he could ask was a supporting presence. This is likely all that the accompanying angel also supplied, holding out no direct assistance to the Lord himself. About the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane there was of course himself, there was likely the presence of Lucifer weighing down upon the Lord, and if one would consider it, that angel who was also presence, might he have been that Holy Spirit which had always attended him, the Holy Ghost, as his constant companion and communicator with the Father? Would not that spirit presence now have to step back a space from him to leave him all alone and unto himself at this time of atonement? And would it not be logical to consider that the other presence which stood by the Lord and was recorded by Luke man well have been the spirit being of the Holy Ghost himself, a pace back from the Lord but still as it were at his side at this most crucial of moments for the benefit of all mankind?
4 For the day of ^avengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my ^bredeemed is come. 5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought ^asalvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. 6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and ^amake them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
7 ¶ I will mention the ^alovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great ^bgoodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. 8 For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their ^aSaviour. 9 In all their ^aaffliction he was afflicted, and the ^bangel of his ^cpresence saved them: in his ^dlove and in his pity he ^eredeemed them; and he bare them, and ^fcarried them all the days of old.
10 ¶ But they ^arebelled, and ^bvexed his ^choly Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their ^denemy, and he fought against them. 11 Then ^ahe remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the ^bsea with the ^cshepherd of his ^dflock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within ^ehim?
12 That led them by the right hand of ^aMoses with his glorious arm, ^bdividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name? 13 That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble? 14 ^aAs a beast goeth down into the valley, the ^bSpirit of the LORD caused ^chim to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious ^dname.
15 ¶ ^aLook down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy ^bholiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, ^cthe sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained? 16 Doubtless thou art our ^afather, though Abraham ^bbe ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from ^ceverlasting.
17 ¶ O LORD, why hast thou ^amade us to err from thy ways, and ^bhardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 18 The ^apeople of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have ^btrodden down thy sanctuary. 19 We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy ^aname.