Isa 4:5-6 | KingComments | STEP | The holiness of is the result of what the Lord ( Adonai ) is going to do in . The people who first refused to listen to the commandment to cleanse themselves ( ) are again called “daughters of Zion” (cf. ), for in the coming day the Lord Himself will cleanse them. This cleansing is necessary because they have become filthy through sin. He will cleanse the people by judgment, by baptism with fire through the Spirit ( ). The Spirit is not only the Spirit of grace, but also of judgment and of burning. That is why that day – “burning like a furnace” ( ) of which the heat is many times greater than that of ordinary fire – will come to burn and wash away all wickedness. The “filth” points to their inner depravity camouflaged by their party clothes ( ). “The bloodshed” refers to the violence against the poor and miserable of God’s people ( ). Prophetically we see here a reference to the two great sins of the people of Israel: idolatry on the one hand and the rejection (blood guilt!) of Christ on the other hand. This is elaborated in Isaiah 40-66. Only after the cleansing of this the LORD will be able to reveal His pleasure in this remnant to them. He shows His pleasure in them by creating a kind of canopy over them, which is a canopy as it is placed above a groom or a throne in order to increase its splendor ( ). The word “create” indicates that it is a splendor newly created by the LORD for this occasion. It is a beautiful picture to paint the relationship between the LORD and Israel. Day and night, this beautiful canopy will cover that entire area. This is similar to the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire that accompanied Israel during the journey through the wilderness, when the LORD was also with them as a covering ( ; ). He was also with them – only during the wilderness journey – as a pillar guiding them. At Zion, the people have arrived at their final destination, as it were, and these Divine symbols of protection remain present. At the time of the first temple, the holy of holies was always filled with the cloud of God’s glory, the sign of His presence – only at the dedication of the temple did the cloud fill the entire building. Here the cloud is present over all of Zion – “over all the glory” – so that the whole of Mount Zion can be referred to as holy of holies, the place where God Himself is present. The word “create” is also used in the story of creation in Genesis 1. Isaiah also uses this word several times in the second part of his book ( ). With this he indicates that the Creator is realizing His ultimate purposes in a new, unexpected way. Incessantly the LORD will find His joy in Zion and what is directly connected to her. Equally He rejoices when His people gather there to have a feast to His honor. Since nature can give both heat and rain in the realm of peace, He has made a shelter for Zion for those circumstances as well ( ). With Isaiah 4 ends a section that begins with a dark painting of the sinful and depraved condition of the people, resulting in the judgment of the LORD. Then our eye is turned to the glory of the Branch or Sprout of the LORD in Whom all hope is found. This concludes this part. We will see such a development in the description more often.

‏ Isaiah 4:5-6

Zion Cleansed and Protected

The holiness of Isa 4:3 is the result of what the Lord (Adonai) is going to do in Isa 4:4. The people who first refused to listen to the commandment to cleanse themselves (Isa 1:16) are again called “daughters of Zion” (cf. Isa 3:16), for in the coming day the Lord Himself will cleanse them. This cleansing is necessary because they have become filthy through sin. He will cleanse the people by judgment, by baptism with fire through the Spirit (Mt 3:11b). The Spirit is not only the Spirit of grace, but also of judgment and of burning. That is why that day – “burning like a furnace” (Mal 4:1) of which the heat is many times greater than that of ordinary fire – will come to burn and wash away all wickedness.

The “filth” points to their inner depravity camouflaged by their party clothes (Isa 3:16-24). “The bloodshed” refers to the violence against the poor and miserable of God’s people (Isa 3:13-15). Prophetically we see here a reference to the two great sins of the people of Israel: idolatry on the one hand and the rejection (blood guilt!) of Christ on the other hand. This is elaborated in Isaiah 40-66. Only after the cleansing of this the LORD will be able to reveal His pleasure in this remnant to them.

He shows His pleasure in them by creating a kind of canopy over them, which is a canopy as it is placed above a groom or a throne in order to increase its splendor (Isa 4:5). The word “create” indicates that it is a splendor newly created by the LORD for this occasion.

It is a beautiful picture to paint the relationship between the LORD and Israel. Day and night, this beautiful canopy will cover that entire area. This is similar to the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire that accompanied Israel during the journey through the wilderness, when the LORD was also with them as a covering (Exo 13:21 ; Exo 14:19-20; Num 9:15). He was also with them – only during the wilderness journey – as a pillar guiding them. At Zion, the people have arrived at their final destination, as it were, and these Divine symbols of protection remain present.

At the time of the first temple, the holy of holies was always filled with the cloud of God’s glory, the sign of His presence – only at the dedication of the temple did the cloud fill the entire building. Here the cloud is present over all of Zion – “over all the glory” – so that the whole of Mount Zion can be referred to as holy of holies, the place where God Himself is present.

The word “create” is also used in the story of creation in Genesis 1. Isaiah also uses this word several times in the second part of his book (Isa 41:20 ; Isa 45:8 ; Isa 48:7 ; Isa 65:17-18). With this he indicates that the Creator is realizing His ultimate purposes in a new, unexpected way.

Incessantly the LORD will find His joy in Zion and what is directly connected to her. Equally He rejoices when His people gather there to have a feast to His honor. Since nature can give both heat and rain in the realm of peace, He has made a shelter for Zion for those circumstances as well (Isa 4:6).

With Isaiah 4 ends a section that begins with a dark painting of the sinful and depraved condition of the people, resulting in the judgment of the LORD. Then our eye is turned to the glory of the Branch or Sprout of the LORD in Whom all hope is found. This concludes this part. We will see such a development in the description more often.