Isa 63:2-4 | KingComments | STEP | These verses contain a dialogue between the redeemed remnant of Israel, delivered from their great tribulation, and the LORD. It is the time of Christ’s personal intervention to defeat the nations who have gathered under the antichrist in Israel. That is why this section rightly follows the Divine promises of the previous chapter. The Jewish people, freed from their enemies, ask with amazement at His power and glory, the question Who the great Deliverer is ( ). He is the Conqueror, Who comes at the head of His armies ( ). But why does He come from Edom and Bozrah? We find the answer to this question by comparing Psalm 29:1-8 with Daniel 11:45 ( ; ). Daniel 11:45 refers to the military base of the king of the North, after he returned from conquering Egypt. He was stationed there to defeat the gathered armies of the restored Roman Empire, that is Western Europe. The nations are then gathered to wage war in the valley of Har-Magedon ( ). Psalm 29 describes prophetically the defeat of all those nations by the power of the voice of the LORD. The defeat begins in Lebanon ( ) and continues to Kadesh, the center of which is Bozrah in Edom. The extermination is quick and complete. The distance from Sirjon in Lebanon to Bozrah in Edom, is 200 miles. This is exactly the distance mentioned in Revelation 14 in a section corresponding to what we read here in Isaiah ( ). In both parts it is about the wine press of the total, unsparing anger of God. The harmony of the various parts of Scripture is clearly illustrated by this. In answer to the question of the people, the LORD says: “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” “Who speaks” corresponds to “the voice of the LORD” in Psalm 29 ( ; cf. ) and “the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse” in Revelation 19 ( ). His righteousness will then be revealed in the deliverance of His earthly people. In they ask a new question. The answer of the LORD in makes the time of the event clear, namely that it is about the definitive destruction of the heathen powers just before the realm of peace. This vivid picture of the treading of the wine press is also described in other parts ( ; ). It is the picture of the oriental wine press. The collected grapes are pressed barefoot, so that the red juice flows out. The garments of the wine presser are therefore smeared with the red juice. It is a picture of God Himself carrying out the judgment. There is also a play on words, because ‘Edom’ means ‘red’. Bozrah, the capital of Edom, is a word related to batsar which means ‘gathering of grapes’. Here year and day are set opposite to each other again (cf. ). The time of the vengeance of the LORD is short ( ). At the same time, this vengeance is the beginning of an era in which the enemy of Israel has been defeated forever: “My year of redemption has come.” His answer continues in . It appears that He is alone in His great love for His people. No one shares in this with Him (cf. ). Wherever He looks, there is no one to help His people. To His astonishment, He must conclude that there is no one who helps His people. That is why He alone will look after the cause of His people and speak up for them. As a lonely but all-powerful Warrior, against Whom all resistance is utterly useless, He pours out His wrath on His enemies and those of His people. He gives His enemies the wine of His wrath, by which they get drunk and fall down.

‏ Isaiah 63:2-4

The LORD Judges the Nations

These verses contain a dialogue between the redeemed remnant of Israel, delivered from their great tribulation, and the LORD. It is the time of Christ’s personal intervention to defeat the nations who have gathered under the antichrist in Israel. That is why this section rightly follows the Divine promises of the previous chapter.

The Jewish people, freed from their enemies, ask with amazement at His power and glory, the question Who the great Deliverer is (Isa 63:1). He is the Conqueror, Who comes at the head of His armies (Rev 19:13-14). But why does He come from Edom and Bozrah? We find the answer to this question by comparing Psalm 29:1-8 with Daniel 11:45 (Psa 29:1-8; Dan 11:45). Daniel 11:45 refers to the military base of the king of the North, after he returned from conquering Egypt. He was stationed there to defeat the gathered armies of the restored Roman Empire, that is Western Europe. The nations are then gathered to wage war in the valley of Har-Magedon (Rev 16:16).

Psalm 29 describes prophetically the defeat of all those nations by the power of the voice of the LORD. The defeat begins in Lebanon (Psa 29:5-6) and continues to Kadesh, the center of which is Bozrah in Edom. The extermination is quick and complete. The distance from Sirjon in Lebanon to Bozrah in Edom, is 200 miles. This is exactly the distance mentioned in Revelation 14 in a section corresponding to what we read here in Isaiah (Rev 14:20). In both parts it is about the wine press of the total, unsparing anger of God. The harmony of the various parts of Scripture is clearly illustrated by this.

In answer to the question of the people, the LORD says: “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” “Who speaks” corresponds to “the voice of the LORD” in Psalm 29 (Psa 29:3-8; cf. Psa 2:5) and “the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse” in Revelation 19 (Rev 19:21). His righteousness will then be revealed in the deliverance of His earthly people.

In Isa 63:2 they ask a new question. The answer of the LORD in Isa 63:3-4 makes the time of the event clear, namely that it is about the definitive destruction of the heathen powers just before the realm of peace. This vivid picture of the treading of the wine press is also described in other parts (Joel 3:9-16; Rev 14:17-20 ; Rev 19:15).

It is the picture of the oriental wine press. The collected grapes are pressed barefoot, so that the red juice flows out. The garments of the wine presser are therefore smeared with the red juice. It is a picture of God Himself carrying out the judgment. There is also a play on words, because ‘Edom’ means ‘red’. Bozrah, the capital of Edom, is a word related to batsar which means ‘gathering of grapes’.

Here year and day are set opposite to each other again (cf. Isa 61:2). The time of the vengeance of the LORD is short (Rom 9:28). At the same time, this vengeance is the beginning of an era in which the enemy of Israel has been defeated forever: “My year of redemption has come.”

His answer continues in Isa 63:5-6. It appears that He is alone in His great love for His people. No one shares in this with Him (cf. Isa 59:16). Wherever He looks, there is no one to help His people. To His astonishment, He must conclude that there is no one who helps His people. That is why He alone will look after the cause of His people and speak up for them. As a lonely but all-powerful Warrior, against Whom all resistance is utterly useless, He pours out His wrath on His enemies and those of His people. He gives His enemies the wine of His wrath, by which they get drunk and fall down.