Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a banner for the peoples.
Isaiah 62 ends with a rush of commands: go through the gates, build the road, clear the stones, raise a signal. Commentators read this as the last step before Zion's promised salvation. But who is this road for, and what are the stones?
The verse changes pace. Everything before it describes what God will do for Jerusalem. Now the commands come fast and doubled. One commentator ties that energy to the coming of the Messiah.
So verse 10 is full of energy. The day of the Lord is here. The Messiah Himself is here for the salvation of Zion's daughter — His reward with Him, and His work before Him.
The commands assume something is in the way. One writer sees a short, violent time around the city just before deliverance comes.
As soon as the salvation and blessing of Jerusalem rise before the prophet's mind, he sees the obstacles in the way as well... This passage speaks of a short season full of turmoil and killing. Enemies will try to take the city. But salvation will come quickly, for the Banner of God is to be lifted up!
The road is built for a people far from home. One writer points to Israel's God-fearing remnant: the small faithful group scattered across the world. He reads the gates, the road and the stones as one picture of their return.
In Isaiah, "the daughter of Zion" is a phrase that comes up a number of times. Its first use, in chapter 1, seems to point to the "very small remnant" mentioned there. We believe that is the force of it here. The God-fearing remnant will be scattered to the ends of the world. They will be called, and a standard will be raised for them to gather to. Then their way to the holy city and through its gates will be opened before them, and every stone that could trip them will be removed.
The signal raised here is not new to Isaiah. One writer traces it from its first mention in the book to its last. He finds it doing two things: gathering the scattered and frightening the enemy. (Older translations call it a "standard" or "banner" where the ESV has "signal"; the quotations below keep that older wording.)
The first mention of it is in Isaiah 5:26; "He will lift up a Banner to the nations." The last mention is in our chapter (Isa. 62:10); "Lift up a Banner for the peoples"... So in Isaiah 49:22. God's Banner is set up to the peoples, and they bring the sons and daughters of Israel to Jerusalem. The next-to-last mention, though, shows an aggressive enemy on the scene: "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a Banner against Him" (Isaiah 59:19). The effect is that the enemy "shall pass over to his stronghold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the Banner, says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem" (Isaiah 31:9).
What kind of road-building is this? One writer links the command to Isaiah 57:14 and reads the work as spiritual, not literal. He pictures God on the march, with singers going ahead of the army.
God is now seen beginning His triumphant march, and, as in Jehoshaphat's successful war, the singers go at the front of the army. They are to build up the road before the advancing King. This, of course, is spiritual preparation. In Isaiah it is connected (57:14; 62:10) with the removal of stumbling-blocks. The spirit of praise is the spirit of power.
One writer turned this image on divisions among Christians. He wrote to a friend and named certain writings as the stones, asking for them to be withdrawn.
"Cast up, cast up the high way," dear brother, "gather out the stones, lift up a standard for the people." These writings are stones to be gathered out, I am sure. They get in the way of our travelling together on "the high way." Withdrawing them would be a gathering out of stones, and would lead, I hope, to the lifting up of a standard worthy of the people of God today.
- Road. The commands build one picture: a highway opened so a scattered people can come home to Jerusalem.
- Stones. Commentators read the obstacles as stumbling-blocks, as in Isaiah 57:14. The clearing is spiritual preparation, not roadwork.
- Banner. The same signal runs through Isaiah from chapter 5 on. Under it the nations bring Israel's sons and daughters home, and the enemy flees in fear.
- Rescue. The work goes on while enemies try to take the city. Yet salvation comes quickly, and the Messiah Himself is at the end of this road.
- Now. The call still speaks. One writer applied "gather out the stones" to whatever keeps God's people from travelling the highway together.
Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompence before him.
Near the end of Isaiah 62, God sends a proclamation to the end of the earth, and its message is for Zion. Two questions shape it: who is the "salvation" that comes, and who is the "daughter of Zion" that hears the news?
This is Jehovah's own proclamation, carried to the furthest edge of the world. Its subject is the arrival of the Messiah.
The day of Jehovah is there; He the Messiah is there for the salvation of Zion's daughter — His reward with Him, and His work before Him. So Jehovah proclaims to the end of the world as His message to her.
The verse does not promise better times. It promises "your salvation." Is that a thing, or a person?
All this will happen through the coming of their Salvation, who is plainly a Person, in the light of the words that follow. By His reward and His work the Arm of the Lord will prove Himself to be God's "Salvation to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).
That title is not limited to one nation:
He is here proclaimed by God to be Israel's Restorer; but important as that is, God says it is a small thing by comparison. Not only will this one nation come directly under Him. All the nations shall have Him as their Light. So, right out to the ends of the earth, our Lord Jesus Christ shall be God's Salvation.
The phrase runs through Isaiah. One writer ties it here to a small God-fearing group, not the nation as a whole.
In Isaiah, "the daughter of Zion" is an expression that occurs many times. The first time is in verse 8 of chapter 1, and it seems to point to the "very small remnant" mentioned in verse 9. We believe that is the force of it here. The God-fearing remnant will be found scattered to the ends of the world. They will be called, and a standard lifted up for them to gather to. Then their way to the holy city and through its gates will be opened up before them, and every stumbling stone will be removed.
The same clause appears earlier in Isaiah. Commenting there, one writer asks who this coming One really is.
There can be no doubt that the person who came long ago and will come again is Christ. In a word, the same Jesus is not only Christ but Jehovah. He is spoken of here as the God of Israel, Jehovah, whose reward is with Him and His work before Him. First comes His coming in power. Next comes all tenderness of heart, as One taking compassion on them because they are defenceless and exposed.
The chapter has just called for open gates and a cleared road. Salvation comes, but it comes into a scene of conflict.
As soon as the salvation and blessing of Jerusalem rises before the prophet's mind, he also sees the obstacles standing in the way. So it is now said with energy and intensity: "Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way of the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a Standard [or a Banner] for the peoples"… This passage speaks of a short season full of turmoil and slaughter. There will be attempts to take the city, but salvation will come quickly, for the Banner of God is to be lifted up!
Commentators place the fulfilment ahead, in the kingdom. A promise still waiting turns into a reason to pray.
All points to the glorious completion of the kingdom, and other watchmen intercede and give Him no rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her a praise in the earth. Faithful Jews, men of prayer, will call on God during the great tribulation to make good His Word and fulfil His promises. May God's people even now plead and intercede for the hastening of all His purposes.
- Proclaimed — the news is Jehovah's own message to Zion, sent out to the end of the world.
- A Person — "your salvation" is not a circumstance but Someone; He Himself is God's Salvation to the ends of the earth.
- To a remnant — the "daughter of Zion" points to the small God-fearing remnant: scattered, then called, then gathered with every stumbling stone removed.
- With reward in hand — He arrives first in power, then with tenderness toward a defenceless people.
- Prayed for — the promise still waits, so watchmen give Him no rest. God's people plead now for the hastening of all His purposes.
And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of Jehovah; and thou shalt be called, The sought out, The city not forsaken.
Isaiah 62 ends with four new names — two for the people, two for the city — given as their salvation arrives. Who renames a ruined city, and what makes the new name hold?
The final verse follows an announcement sent out to the ends of the earth. Commentators read it as the arrival of the Messiah Himself for Zion's sake:
The day of Jehovah is there; He the Messiah is there for the salvation of Zion's daughter — His reward with Him, and His work before Him. So Jehovah proclaims to the end of the world as His message to her.
(Kelly uses the divine name "Jehovah" where the ESV reads "the LORD".)
The One announced is a Person, not just an event:
And how will all this come about? By the arrival of their Salvation, who is clearly a Person, in the light of the words that follow. By His reward and His work the Arm of the Lord will prove Himself to be God's "salvation to the end of the earth."
The first name is not a promotion to something new. It is Israel arriving at what it was always meant to be, and the second name explains how:
And what will be the result for those who are gathered as "the daughter of Zion"? They will at last be exactly what God first meant Israel to be — "The holy people." That is, a people set apart for God, in agreement with His mind and nature. They will come into this delightful condition only because they will be "the redeemed of the Lord."
The second name rules out two mistakes. This is not a national label pinned on people whatever their inner state, and it is not earned. It puts Israel's future on the same footing as anyone else's salvation:
This redemption will be a living, spiritual reality. It will not be only a national event that ignores the spiritual state of each person, as when God brought them out of Egypt under Moses. The grace of our God will bring it about; it will not rest on law-keeping. Romans 11 shows this clearly. There Paul says that Israel is shut up in unbelief at present, yet will finally "receive mercy." The coming salvation of the godly in Israel will be as completely an act of Divine mercy as the salvation of degraded Gentile sinners today. The mercy of God will reach both the people and their city.
The name is spoken over a city that is still desolate and scattered. One writer sets her condition beside the name God has already recorded for her:
God's sure testimonies still stand, as recorded by the spirit of prophecy: "Israel has not been forsaken, nor Judah, by his God, the LORD of hosts; although their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." She is desolate now, a captive, wandering from place to place. Yet she shall be called, "Sought out, A city not forsaken."
The earlier names in the chapter were Forsaken and Desolate. The new names hold because the blessing now rests on the Messiah, not on the people:
He will rejoice over Jerusalem, as a bridegroom over a bride. No more shall His people be called Azubah (Forsaken), no more shall the land be called Shemamah (Desolate), but Hephzibah (My delight is in her) the one, and Beulah (Married) the other. The blessing from now on rests on Jehovah-Messiah, who never did fail and never can; not on the worm Jacob, who neither could be, nor ought to have been, relied on.
The names belong to a future day. Yet one writer draws a line from them to anyone who knows the Saviour now, while He is refused:
Happy the people and the city that are so favoured. Three times happy is the soul who already knows the Saviour while He is rejected, and can say, "HIS BANNER OVER ME IS LOVE."
- Salvation comes. The four names are not given in a vacuum; they follow the arrival of a Person, announced to the ends of the earth.
- Redeemed first. Being "the holy people" is the result, not the cause — it is reached only because they are "the redeemed of the LORD."
- Mercy, not merit. This redemption is spiritual and personal, not a national label. It comes by grace, not by law-keeping.
- Sought out. God names her while she is still scattered. His word outweighs what she looks like now.
- Not forsaken. The names last because the blessing rests on the Messiah, who cannot fail, and not on the people who did.