Isaiah 11:14, commentary and pictures

The verse describes God's gathered remnant journeying westward out of the lands of their captivity and overcoming the nations around them, pressing against the Philistines to the west, spoiling those to the east, and laying hold on Edom and Moab while the children of Ammon are brought under their authority. It belongs to the promise that God will set His hand the second time to recover His scattered remnant after an appointed period of bondage under Gentile dominion, a worldwide deliverance like the Exodus from Egypt but greater than it. That gathering is from every place and from the four corners of the earth under an ensign for the nations, uniting God's people to His glorious rest in the closing work of restoring fallen creation to health, rest, life and freedom. Its fulfillment is the final gathering of Jews and Gentiles into His immortal kingdom at Christ's second advent, when He gathers the dispersed, sets up the ensign, and reigns over all the earth, a glorious reign separated from His human birth at Bethlehem by more than twenty-five hundred years. Some of this prophecy was fulfilled in the restoration from Babylon under the covenant conditions then in force, while after Christ it concerns Israel by faith, the remnant wherever found, and is applied as now fulfilled in this day as God sets His rest before His people and delays the work until they gain meekness, humility, self-denial and implicit confidence in His leadership.

Words and Setting

The book is filled with gospel truth, written from 760 to 700 B.C. during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah by a prophet of Judah. Chapters 10 to 12 continue the wonderful prophecy of Christ Jesus given in Isaiah 9:6,7. In that setting chapter 11 reproves the great sins of Isaiah's day, points forward to similar conditions in the last days, and points to the great deliverance at the coming of Christ. The surrounding verses identify Christ as the root of Jesse. The human birth at Bethlehem described at the beginning of the chapter and the glorious reign described with this verse are placed side by side with no hint of the time between, illustrating that prophecy sees humiliation and glorification, first coming and second coming, as one continuous crisis without prophetic perspective.

The verse specifies direction in the prophecy of recovery from dispersion and gathering from the four corners of the earth, for the gathered remnant of God's people journey westward when leaving the lands of their captivity. It describes those gathered people overcoming neighboring nations. They advance against the Philistines to the west and take spoil from peoples to the east together. They gain dominion over Edom and Moab and bring the children of Ammon under their authority and obedience.

Gathering and Victory

Isaiah 11:14 belongs to the promise that God will set His hand the second time to recover the scattered remnant of His people. That second recovery is a future work of deliverance patterned after the Exodus from Egypt. It is worldwide in scope and greater than Israel's release from Egypt, leading to God's people inheriting the earth made new. The prophecy concerns the time between Christ's first and second comings, with Christ as the root of Jesse in the surrounding verses.

That second recovery comes after an appointed period of bondage and indignation. During that time God's people were trodden down under Gentile dominion. Then the yoke is broken and the remnant is restored and delivered from that dominion.

The gathering is God's recovery of the remnant of His people from every place. He gathers the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth to His glorious rest, as truly as He set His rest before Israel of old. He gathers and unites His people under an ensign for the nations, with a message going to all nations. This worldwide gathering is included in the closing work of God and leads to inheriting the earth made new.

The verse belongs to the programme of the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord and the times of restitution of all things. That means fallen, disorganized creation is destined for re-organization and restoration to its former condition. That change comes from God, not from earth or man. It brings coolness after heat, rest, health, life, and freedom.

The promised victory over the neighboring peoples is part of this promised recovery. Its details are not explained separately.

Fulfillment and Application

The verse belongs to the final gathering of God's people, both Jews and Gentiles, into His immortal kingdom at Christ's second advent. Then Jesus gathers the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth, sets up an ensign for the nations, and reigns over all the earth. It is part of that promised gathering of Jews and Gentiles, not a promise of Israel's earlier national restoration.

That glorious reign does not belong to His human birth at Bethlehem described at the beginning of the chapter, but lies separated from that birth by a mighty stretch of years. It was more than twenty-five hundred years distant and still future, yet placed side by side with the birth with no hint of the time between. In this prophecy sees humiliation and glorification, first coming and second coming, as one continuous crisis without prophetic perspective.

The prophecy also concerns the time between Christ's first and second comings, identifying Christ as the root of Jesse in the surrounding verses. Now, in this day, God has set His hand the second time to recover the remnant of His people from every place and gather the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth to His glorious rest. This is fulfilled as truly as He set His rest before Israel of old, as a prophecy of better days for Israel when Christ reigns. It is a work compared with Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and the promised victory over neighboring peoples is part of this promised recovery whose details are not explained separately.

Some of this prophecy concerning Israel was fulfilled in the restoration from Babylon, for it belongs to prophecies whose vision included events both near and far. Fulfillment before Christ was under the covenant conditions then in force, while fulfillment after Christ concerns Israel by faith — the remnant of God wherever found.

The verse is linked with Israel's gathering and deliverance at the beginning of the day of the Lord. Many of literal Israel are to be gathered and delivered in Jerusalem in Asia during the battle of the great day of the Lord. At the same time God's people among every nation are delivered and receive His Spirit.

The promise is of a deliverance the second time, meaning a future work of deliverance like the Exodus from Egypt. That second deliverance requires meekness, humility, self-denial, self-distrust, and implicit confidence in God's leadership as essential to successful effort. It is delayed until those appointed to the work gain that personal preparation.