Isa 24:22 | TNotes | STEP | 24:22 put in prison ... punished: See also 2 Pet 2:4 ; Rev 9:2 , 11 ; 17:8 . Thematic note: The Remnant In the face of foreign invasion and the prospect of exile, the notion of the remnant was a source of hope for God’s people (see Mic 2:12-13 ; 4:6-8 ). While the Exile would be the outworking of God’s judgment on his people, God indicated that he would not completely destroy them (see Hos 11:8-11 ). The fact that a remnant was preserved demonstrated God’s mercy and faithfulness. The theme of the remnant was integral to Isaiah’s message. In fact, one of his sons was named Shear-jashub, which means “a remnant will return” (Isa 7:3 ; see 10:21 ). Isaiah prophesied that when the Lord judged his people with destruction (which occurred at the hands of the Babylonians in 605–586 BC ), he would save a small community—the remnant—to be the core of a new beginning. Because the population of Judah would be decimated (as the northern kingdom of Israel had been already), this remnant would be a very small beginning. It is depicted as a “branch” (4:2 ), a “stump” (6:13 ), a community of the “poor” and “needy” (25:4 ), and “handpicked grain” (27:12-13 ). This remnant was to put their trust in the Lord while waiting for him to establish his rule and come to reward them (see 3:10 ; 40:10 ). The Lord promised that this small community would swell into a huge multitude that would come out of both Israel and the Gentile nations (27:6 ; 60:3 ). In fulfillment of prophecy, a remnant of God’s people were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple during the reign of King Cyrus of Persia (Ezra 1:2-4 ). Ezra the priest recognized this preservation of a remnant as purely an act of God’s grace, an act that could be jeopardized if the people followed their ancestors in disobedience (Ezra 9:5-15 ). The notion of the remnant serves as an encouragement to remain faithful to God in the midst of the unfaithfulness of others. In the case of the people of Israel and Judah, such faithfulness would lead to the restoration of their land and to the blessings God had promised his people. Passages for Further Study 2 Kgs 19:31 ; 2 Chr 36:20 ; Ezra 9:14 ; Isa 1:8-9 ; 4:1-3 ; 6:13 ; 10:19-22 ; 11:10-16 ; 27:12-13 ; 28:5 ; 37:31-32 ; 46:3-4 ; Jer 6:9 ; 23:3-4 ; 31:7-8 ; Amos 5:15 ; Mic 2:12 ; 4:6-7 ; 5:7-8 ; 7:18 ; Zeph 3:11-13

24:22 ^a put in prison ... punished: See also 2 Pet 2:4 ^b; Rev 9:2 ^c, 11 ^d; 17:8 ^e.

Thematic note: The Remnant
In the face of foreign invasion and the prospect of exile, the notion of the remnant was a source of hope for God’s people (see Mic 2:12-13 ^f; 4:6-8 ^g). While the Exile would be the outworking of God’s judgment on his people, God indicated that he would not completely destroy them (see Hos 11:8-11 ^h). The fact that a remnant was preserved demonstrated God’s mercy and faithfulness.
The theme of the remnant was integral to Isaiah’s message. In fact, one of his sons was named Shear-jashub, which means “a remnant will return” (Isa 7:3 ⁱ; see 10:21 ^j). Isaiah prophesied that when the Lord judged his people with destruction (which occurred at the hands of the Babylonians in 605–586 BC), he would save a small community—the remnant—to be the core of a new beginning. Because the population of Judah would be decimated (as the northern kingdom of Israel had been already), this remnant would be a very small beginning. It is depicted as a “branch” (4:2 ^k), a “stump” (6:13 ^l), a community of the “poor” and “needy” (25:4 ^m), and “handpicked grain” (27:12-13 ⁿ). This remnant was to put their trust in the Lord while waiting for him to establish his rule and come to reward them (see 3:10 ^o; 40:10 ^p). The Lord promised that this small community would swell into a huge multitude that would come out of both Israel and the Gentile nations (27:6 ^q; 60:3 ^r).
In fulfillment of prophecy, a remnant of God’s people were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple during the reign of King Cyrus of Persia (Ezra 1:2-4 ^s). Ezra the priest recognized this preservation of a remnant as purely an act of God’s grace, an act that could be jeopardized if the people followed their ancestors in disobedience (Ezra 9:5-15 ^t).
The notion of the remnant serves as an encouragement to remain faithful to God in the midst of the unfaithfulness of others. In the case of the people of Israel and Judah, such faithfulness would lead to the restoration of their land and to the blessings God had promised his people.

Passages for Further Study
2 Kgs 19:31 ^u; 2 Chr 36:20 ^v; Ezra 9:14 ^w; Isa 1:8-9 ^x; 4:1-3 ^y; 6:13 ^z; 10:19-22 ^aa; 11:10-16 ^ab; 27:12-13 ^ac; 28:5 ^ad; 37:31-32 ^ae; 46:3-4 ^af; Jer 6:9 ^ag; 23:3-4 ^ah; 31:7-8 ^ai; Amos 5:15 ^aj; Mic 2:12 ^ak; 4:6-7 ^al; 5:7-8 ^am; 7:18 ^an; Zeph 3:11-13 ^ao