Isaiah 4 (NKJV) — 1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, “We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel; Only let us be called by your name, To take away our reproach.” 2 In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. 3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. 6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.

23-BSG-4C: CHAPTER OVERVIEW.

Chapter At A Glance – [1] Contents: Messiah’s Mission of restoration; [2] Characters: God, Isaiah; [3] Key Word: ‘in that day’ (Isaiah 4:1, 2); [4] Striking Verses: Isaiah 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Important Words (NKJV): [Isa 4:2] ‘the Branch of’ (Semah) =sprouting; shoot; [Isa 4:2] ‘beautifu’l (sbi) = ornament, splendor; glory, magnificence.

Issues For Further Study: Messianic Prophecies; Day of the Lord; the Book of Life; Descriptions of Holy Spirit; Glory of God; Believers’ growth in Holiness; Messianic age; the Remnant of God; Revelation of glory.

Commentaries by Theme: The Branch – (Is 4::2; 11:1; 60:21; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Ezk 17:22-23; Zech. 3:8; 6:12; Lk 1:78). Other Themes –(Lk 10:20; Mt 3:11; Is 1:15; Ex. 21:10; Isa 1:9; Isa 2:11; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 21:27)

Similar Commands: 2 Sam 12:28

Theophanies: Ex 13:22; 40:34; Isa 6:3; Isa 60:2; Ex 19:18; 40:34-38, etc.

Parallel Passages: Isa 4:3// Rev 13:8; 21:27

23-BSG-4D: CHAPTER INTRODUCTION.

Right after the terrible Day of the LORD, the LORD will save a remnant of Israel (vv. 2–4). And He will save them by the Branch of the LORD, which is a direct reference to the Messiah Himself, even the Lord Jesus Christ. The Messiah is the Branch who came as a sprout or shoot from the stump of David’s dynasty, a dynasty that seemed to be dead (11:1; 53:2; Je. 23:5; 33:15; Zec. 3:8; 6:12). Note that the Branch will be beautiful and glorious in the eyes of the people. He will be the vine in whom the people will find their nourishment and strength (Jn. 15:1). As the Branch of the LORD, the Messiah will do three wonderful things for the people:

• He will provide a fruitful land for them (v. 2). All the necessities of life—food, water, shelter, and whatever else is needed—will be provided for them in the promised land.
• He will make them holy, totally set apart and consecrated to God, to worship and serve Him (v. 3). Following the future day of judgment, the only people who will survive will be genuine believers, those who have set their lives apart to God. At that time the LORD will perfect the holiness of all believers, purifying them and making them acceptable to live with Him eternally. This verse must be referring to the millennial reign of Christ and to eternity in the new heavens and earth. Why? Because the survivors left behind after the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions were not called holy. As Ezra, Nehemiah, and the prophets describe, they were anything but holy.
• The LORD will cleanse the people from moral filth and sin (v. 4). The filth of the women of Zion will be washed away, as will the lawlessness and violence of everyone who is to live in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

After the people are perfectly cleansed and made holy, the LORD will cover His people with the glory of His presence (vv. 5–6). In fact, the canopy of His presence and provision will cover all of Mount Zion (Jerusalem). During the Exodus, the very presence of God was seen in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21–22; 40:34–38; see also 16:10). So it will be in the millennium and in the new heavens and earth: God’s very presence will cover the New Jerusalem and be visible to all who travel and assemble there. The very shelter of God’s protection will provide a refuge and security for the people. His presence will provide a perfect safe haven. There will be no stifling heat from hot summer days or danger from violent storms.” [Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Isaiah (Chapters 1–35), The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible, (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2005), I:80–81].

23-BSG-4J: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

SEEING WHAT’S THERE.

[1] What is the main content of this chapter? Jerusalem’s Glorious Future; and the Renewal of Zion.

‘In that day,’ (Isa. 4:2). This phrase speaks of ‘the Day of the LORD,” where a remnant of Israel shall be saved. Judgment is never the end of God’s message. Rather, His message always ends with the hope of salvation. ‘The Branch’ (Messiah: Jesus Christ) came a first time; He will come again a second time to bring this prophecy to fruition. At that time, He will be “splendid and glorious” (Isa. 4:2) and He shall take all the remnants of God home. Isaiah now looks beyond the judgment of God (Isa. 3:6-12) to the event that will take place right after the terrible battle of Armageddon, namely, the Second Coming.

[2] What does the chapter say about God? He sanctify us (setting us apart for holy purposes, v. 3); He records our names in the Lamb’s Book for (for eternal life, v. 3); He is our shelter, our hiding place; He overshadows us with His presence; He is our Refuge; He is “a pavilion for shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and the rain” (v. 6); He has an ultimate rescue plan (the Second Coming) to solve all our problems and take us home (John 14:1-3).

CAPTURE THE ESSENCE:

[3] What is the setting (or immediate historical context) to the marriage between ‘Seven Women’ vs. ‘One Man’ in verse 1? (4:1) Does the Bible allow polygamy?

To get the context of this text, one has to go back to the previous chapter (Isa. 3:6–7) – there we see “a vivid picture is drawn of a scene that typifies what happens ‘in that day’ of Yahweh’s intervention in judgement. Not everyone would be deported, but losses in battle would mean that more women were left than men. So desperate would they be for protection and security that seven of them would grasp one male and make the same proposal to him. ‘We will eat our own food and clothe ourselves with our own garments,’ shows that they themselves would undertake to perform the duties of a husband, who was obligated in all circumstances to provide for his wife (cf. Exod. 21:10). Though such a polygamous arrangement was not outlawed at that time, very few men would have been wealthy enough to support so many wives.” [John L. Mackay, A Study Commentary on Isaiah: Chapters 1–39, EP Study Commentary, (Darlington, England; Webster, New York: Evangelical Press, 2008), 1:121].

Note: The message of Isa. 3:16 to 4:1 was originally addressed to the people of Jerusalem living in the prophet’s own day, as the context makes evident.

[4] Why was being single a disgrace? (4:1) “Most likely these seven women were widows, their husbands having been killed in the invasion. In ancient times widows were oppressed and treated poorly. However, because these widows claimed to have their own financial resources, their disgrace probably stemmed from being childless. In Hebrew culture, there was perhaps no greater humiliation than that of being a childless woman. These women apparently wanted children to remove their disgrace.” (NIV Quest Study Bible)

[5] Why would people be called holy? (4:2–3) “To be holy means to be reserved by God for his own use. By judging Jerusalem (and Judah), God purified his people, setting them apart for his glory. He separated his precious ones from the perpetrators of evil.” (NIV Quest Study Bible)

[6] What will the LORD wash away? (4:4) the (moral) filth of the daughters of Zion; the bloodstains of Jerusalem.

[7] What will a tabernacle provide? (4:6) A shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and the rain.

[8] What’s the purpose of the cloud of smoke by day and flaming fire by night? (4:5–6) “In Isaiah 2:1–3 Mount Zion is elevated above the surrounding hills; here it is protected by divine symbols reminiscent of the journey out of Egypt (Ex 13:21; 14:19–20). The protective symbols would not move, as they did during the Exodus; for the future Mount Zion is the journey’s end. The picture in these verses is glorious and certainly yet in the future, as Judah’s returning exiles did not experience such tranquil conditions.” (NIV Quest Study Bible)