Isa 45:20 | KingComments | STEP | As in , the restoration of Israel is followed by offering blessing to the nations. These nations that have escaped judgment on the world and been brought into the realm of peace have not been worshipers of the beast, for those nations have all been wiped out by judgment ( ; ). It is not about Israelites who have escaped the nations – which “fugitives of the nations” might suggest – but nations who have escaped the judgments that have been exercised on them. They are again summoned by God in a lawsuit to make a verdict. In the light of that future blessing, God resumes His protest against their idols and once again says how foolish it is to expect redemption from an idol. Nor can these idols say anything about future things, something that God challenges them to do in order to make clear their utter inability to do so ( ). Only He is capable of this and no one else. He alone is both the righteous and the redeeming God. As the righteous God He must and will judge sin. As the redeeming God, He redeems through His Son, Who has fulfilled His righteous requirements by suffering judgment for everyone who confesses to be a sinner. The God of Israel is the God Who created heaven and earth. Therefore He is the only true God. Therefore He also is the Only One Who is able to redeem Israel. For the nations, this is another call to recognize the God of Israel and thereby participate in the blessings of the realm of peace together with the people of Israel ( ).

‏ Isaiah 45:20

The Idols and the LORD

As in Isa 45:14-17, the restoration of Israel is followed by offering blessing to the nations. These nations that have escaped judgment on the world and been brought into the realm of peace have not been worshipers of the beast, for those nations have all been wiped out by judgment (Isa 45:20; Rev 14:9-11).

It is not about Israelites who have escaped the nations – which “fugitives of the nations” might suggest – but nations who have escaped the judgments that have been exercised on them. They are again summoned by God in a lawsuit to make a verdict.

In the light of that future blessing, God resumes His protest against their idols and once again says how foolish it is to expect redemption from an idol. Nor can these idols say anything about future things, something that God challenges them to do in order to make clear their utter inability to do so (Isa 45:21). Only He is capable of this and no one else.

He alone is both the righteous and the redeeming God. As the righteous God He must and will judge sin. As the redeeming God, He redeems through His Son, Who has fulfilled His righteous requirements by suffering judgment for everyone who confesses to be a sinner.

The God of Israel is the God Who created heaven and earth. Therefore He is the only true God. Therefore He also is the Only One Who is able to redeem Israel. For the nations, this is another call to recognize the God of Israel and thereby participate in the blessings of the realm of peace together with the people of Israel (Rev 14:6-7).