My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the peoples the isles shall wait for me, and in mine arm shall they trust.
This verse sits in the middle call of Isaiah 51, spoken to a small and discouraged remnant. It answers their fear with two words: near, and gone out. But what does God mean by "My righteousness"? And why do far-off coastlands put their hope in His arm?
Kelly sets out the appeals that shape the chapter, and who they address.
Isaiah 51 to 52:12 apply the truth to the people of God, or at least to the godly remnant of the future, seen strictly in their prophetic sense. First comes a triple call: "Listen to me, you who follow righteousness" (vv. 1-3), "Pay attention to me, my people" (vv. 4-6), and "Listen to me, you who know righteousness" (vv. 7-8). These three calls show spiritual progress.
The verse speaks of peoples and distant coastlands. So some have read it as a message to the Gentile world. Kelly rejects that, and points to a name God had given Israel: Lo-ammi, "not My people."
Bishop Lowth was completely wrong to think that here God speaks not to the Jews but to the Gentiles, "as in all reason it ought to be"! The Jews needed this comfort all the more, because God had called them Lo-ammi for so long. God marks off "the peoples" as a distinct group. His judgment will be set up as a light for them, and His arms will judge them. Meanwhile His righteousness and salvation, made good for ever, will be Israel's portion.
Darby draws the sense of the word from how Isaiah uses it.
Here, and in several other passages, "righteousness" carries a sense that explains and clears up its use in the New Testament. Gesenius even translates it here and elsewhere as "deliverance, salvation." God's power steps in here, in keeping with His own character and in grace towards His people, and so it must deliver them. "Who raised up righteousness from the east?" God acts to vindicate His own character and power against evil. It is God's righteousness. Take Cyrus as a first fulfilment: God must vindicate His title against the pride of the nations, against idols and false gods. It is His righteousness, but by it His people are delivered in grace. So, "My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out."
The blessing does not stop at Israel's borders. Hole notes a detail in the wording, then names the arm.
Verses 4 and 5 show what will come to pass when the movement proceeds from God and they are obedient to His law and ordering. Then His salvation, based on righteousness, will be shown. There will be blessing, not only for those whom He acknowledges as "My people" and "My nation," but also for "the peoples" — the word at the end of verse 4 and in the middle of verse 5 is plural. In that day God will bring the distant isles under His rule. The secret of it all is this: "for my arm they wait," or, in older translations, "on Mine ARM shall they trust." That ARM was introduced to us in Isaiah 40:10, and is a title of our Lord Jesus in the power and glory of His second coming.
The same arm that judges is the one the coastlands lean on. The Old Testament uses this picture again and again, and its reach here is wide.
The arm is the part of the body able to lift burdens and defend the person; it pictures the power and strength of God on behalf of His saints. The arm of Jehovah is often spoken of in the Old Testament. It redeemed, Ex. 6:6; it gathers His own, Isa. 40:11; and it rules for Him, Isa. 40:10, as in the kingdom. It is a holy arm, Isa. 52:10; Ps. 98:1; and it is a glorious arm, Isa. 63:12. Even the isles of the Gentiles are to trust in it — that is, sinners everywhere in creation. Isa. 51:5.
Isaiah says God's righteousness will be revealed. The New Testament uses that same language for the gospel. One writer marks both the link and the difference.
Speaking through Isaiah about the salvation of Israel still to come, the Lord says His righteousness will be revealed (Isa. 41:10; Isa. 46:13; Isa. 51:5-6, 8; Isa. 56:1)… But that coming salvation of Israel is still very different from the gospel salvation we are dealing with here. Then righteousness will show itself in judgment on the enemies of His earthly people. In the salvation we have here, righteousness also acts in judgment, yet you see only contrast — this is that "strange work" to which the Cross bears witness. Here is a judgment upon sin which is the salvation of sinners!
- Near — God speaks this promise to a small, weak remnant He calls "My people." It is comfort for people long told they were not His.
- Righteousness — God acting in keeping with His own character against evil. He vindicates Himself, and in grace that same act delivers His people.
- Arm — the strength that redeems, gathers and rules. Hole calls it a title of the Lord Jesus in the power and glory of His second coming.
- Isles — the arm that judges the peoples is the arm distant coastlands lean on. Sinners everywhere are to trust it.
- Two salvations — Israel's coming deliverance is righteousness judging her enemies. The gospel is judgment on sin that becomes the salvation of sinners.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall grow old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
God tells His people to look up at the sky and down at the ground. Both look permanent. Both wear out like old clothing. Against them He sets the one thing that will not wear out: His own salvation.
Isaiah 51 holds a series of appeals. This one is for a people God calls His own. One writer reads verses 4 to 6 as a promise to a small, weak group that will become a nation, with sky and land as witnesses.
Once again the faithful few are called to listen to the Lord. Now He speaks of them as "My nation". When Israel rejected Christ, they were only a feeble few, just as Abraham, their father, was alone when God called him. In the day to come they will grow into a nation that God owns under His righteous rule. On the day of their blessing, the nations that have lived in darkness will come into God's light and salvation, and they will trust in His arm. The heavens and the earth are a witness that God's salvation, founded on His righteousness, lasts forever.
Some say these words speak to the nations, not to the Jews. One commentator calls that a total mistake, and marks out two groups with two different portions.
Bishop Lowth makes a total mistake when he thinks these words are spoken not to the Jews but to the nations, "as in all reason it ought to be"! They were needed all the more as a comfort for the Jews... "The peoples" are kept separate. God's judgement would be set up as a light for them, and His arms would judge them, while His righteousness and salvation, made good forever, would be Israel's portion.
The verse names three things that go: sky, earth, and the people living on it. The verses that follow then tell God's people not to fear what men say.
What a wonderful day that will be! Verse 6 says that nothing in heaven or on earth is stable. Physical things and men themselves pass away, but the salvation God will bring about in righteousness will last. Verses 7 and 8 call us to listen to God's word. We who "know righteousness" cannot help rejoicing that only what is established in righteousness will remain, and everything else will be worm-eaten and destroyed. Sure of this, no believer needs to fear the insults and abuse of men.
The One who made the universe will also put it away. He folds it up like a garment when it has done its work.
First He is the Creator of all things, and He lives in eternity. Then, when the vast creation — of which we see only a small part — has served its purpose, He will fold it up. (Ps. 102:25-27; Isa. 51:6.) The material universe is a platform on which the will of God is carried out. When His marvellous handiwork has finished its task, He folds it up, and changes it as a man changes his clothes.
Scripture speaks of a shaking of the heavens, and also of their removal. One writer treats these as two different events.
Scripture as a whole testifies to a shaking of the heavens that comes before the removal of the heavens, and is quite distinct from it. I think all agree on this. The shaking leads in to Jesus' return to Israel; the removal comes just before God becomes all in all.
The same writer sorts the prophecies into those two groups, and puts this verse with the removal.
Isaiah 51:6, 65:17, and Isaiah 66:22 seem connected with the removal spoken of by Peter.
Isaiah ties God's salvation to His righteousness. Commentators note that Israel's coming salvation and gospel salvation are not the same, though God acts in righteousness in both.
For the salvation of Israel that is still to come, the Lord speaks through Isaiah of His righteousness as something to be revealed (Isa. 41:10; Isa. 46:13; Isa. 51:5-6, 8; Isa. 56:1)... But the salvation of Israel in the day to come is still very different from the gospel salvation we are dealing with here. Then righteousness will be shown in judgment on the enemies of His earthly people. In the salvation we have here, righteousness does act in judgment, yet we see only contrast in this truly "strange work" to which the Cross bears witness. Here is a judgment on sin that is the salvation of sinners!
- Look up. God points to the things that look most permanent — sky, earth, people — and says that "nothing in heaven or on earth is stable."
- Folded, not failed. Creation is not collapsing by accident. The Creator folds it up like a used garment once it "has served its purpose."
- Witness. The passing sky and earth witness to the opposite fact: God's salvation, "founded on His righteousness," lasts forever.
- Reach. God speaks the promise to a feeble few who will become a nation, and "the nations that have lived in darkness will come into God's light and salvation."
- Result. Only "what is established in righteousness will remain," so those who know that righteousness need not "fear the insults and abuse of men."