Isa 48:14-15 | KingComments | STEP | A second time the people are called to listen ( ; ), and also a third and a fourth time ( ). At His second call the LORD introduces Himself in His absolute Godhead. He is “I am”, the Eternal, the Unchanging ( ). What is said here of the LORD is also said of Christ ( ) and reaffirms that the Lord Jesus is God. He is “the first”, which means that He is at the beginning of history. He is also “the last”, which means that He is still there at the end of history. He also points to His impressive power as Creator ( ). Christ is the Creator ( ; ; ). He is the God Who brings about everything. Thus, with His word of power, God is directing all of history and leads it to its consummation in Christ. His third call to the people to listen is linked to the power with which He controls events ( ). Who among all the idols is equal to Him in this? They have not been able to predict it and even less to edit it. He loves Cyrus for the work he will do for Him. With this He points again to the Lord Jesus and His work. Cyrus has been called by the LORD as the destroyer of Babylon and He will make his way prosperous. Here we see Cyrus again as a type of the Lord Jesus. We recognize the love of God for Cyrus in the love of God the Father for His Son, which is clearly described in the Gospel according to John ( ). Just as Cyrus judged Babylon at the time and made Israel return to his own land, so the Lord Jesus Christ will judge Babylon of the end time and save the believing remnant of Israel. The fourth time He tells the people to listen is because He, as God, has proven His power to predict and fulfill future things ( ). God has always done this in a clear and open way, in contrast to the indistinct mutterings and whispers of the idols. The “Me” mentioned in is different from the “Me” in the first part of the verse. In the first line it is about God and that is always the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The last line of suddenly introduces the Servant of the LORD speaking, that is Christ. That Christ is speaking can be concluded from a comparison with the first verse of Isaiah 61 ( ). This conclusion provides another striking proof of the trinity of God (cf. ). There is talk of the LORD, that is God Whom we may know as Father, of “Me”, that is the Servant, and of the Spirit. Also in Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 42 we find the three Persons of the Godhead: the LORD, the Servant, and the Spirit ( ). The words of the Servant are undoubtedly an introduction to what He will explain about Himself in the next chapter ( ).

‏ Isaiah 48:14-15

The LORD in His Absolute Godhead

A second time the people are called to listen (Isa 48:12; Isa 48:1), and also a third and a fourth time (Isa 48:14 ; 16). At His second call the LORD introduces Himself in His absolute Godhead. He is “I am”, the Eternal, the Unchanging (Isa 41:4 ; Isa 44:6). What is said here of the LORD is also said of Christ (Rev 1:8 ; 17 ; Rev 22:13) and reaffirms that the Lord Jesus is God. He is “the first”, which means that He is at the beginning of history. He is also “the last”, which means that He is still there at the end of history.

He also points to His impressive power as Creator (Isa 48:13). Christ is the Creator (Col 1:16; Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2). He is the God Who brings about everything. Thus, with His word of power, God is directing all of history and leads it to its consummation in Christ.

His third call to the people to listen is linked to the power with which He controls events (Isa 48:14-15). Who among all the idols is equal to Him in this? They have not been able to predict it and even less to edit it. He loves Cyrus for the work he will do for Him. With this He points again to the Lord Jesus and His work. Cyrus has been called by the LORD as the destroyer of Babylon and He will make his way prosperous.

Here we see Cyrus again as a type of the Lord Jesus. We recognize the love of God for Cyrus in the love of God the Father for His Son, which is clearly described in the Gospel according to John (Jn 3:35 ; Jn 5:20 ; Jn 10:17 ; Jn 15:9 ; Jn 17:23-26). Just as Cyrus judged Babylon at the time and made Israel return to his own land, so the Lord Jesus Christ will judge Babylon of the end time and save the believing remnant of Israel.

The fourth time He tells the people to listen is because He, as God, has proven His power to predict and fulfill future things (Isa 48:16a). God has always done this in a clear and open way, in contrast to the indistinct mutterings and whispers of the idols.

The “Me” mentioned in Isa 48:16b is different from the “Me” in the first part of the verse. In the first line it is about God and that is always the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The last line of Isa 48:16 suddenly introduces the Servant of the LORD speaking, that is Christ. That Christ is speaking can be concluded from a comparison with the first verse of Isaiah 61 (Isa 61:1).

This conclusion provides another striking proof of the trinity of God (cf. Isa 6:8). There is talk of the LORD, that is God Whom we may know as Father, of “Me”, that is the Servant, and of the Spirit. Also in Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 42 we find the three Persons of the Godhead: the LORD, the Servant, and the Spirit (Isa 11:2 ; Isa 42:1). The words of the Servant are undoubtedly an introduction to what He will explain about Himself in the next chapter (Isa 49:5-6).