Isaiah 4:4

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

The Lord will wash away the moral filth of the daughters of Zion and purge the blood of Jerusalem from its midst by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning. That burning is Christ baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with fire, the Spirit of God consuming sin in all who submit to His power as a refining fire that purges away dross and tin. The cleansing includes a sifting of sinners from among God's people as chaff is separated from wheat, with the faithful remnant purified through severe trial and kept loyal amid apostasy.

After this purging, those who survive and remain in Zion are called holy and counted among the living. In this way chastisement serves as a means of salvation. The repentant can thereby enter fellowship with Christ and abide in His presence.

The same glory that imparts life to the righteous destroys sin wherever it is cherished, so those who cling to sin become identified with it and must be destroyed with it, as the wicked will be slain by the light of God's glory at the second advent. The Zion to be cleansed is the church as the bride, the Lamb's wife, who must keep herself pure, sanctified and holy and indulge no foolishness because she is the bride of a King. She does not yet grasp her exalted position, but understanding it will make her inwardly all-glorious.

The Lord is ready to do this great cleansing work for every church, molding those who yield like clay in the potter's hands into vessels of honor fit to stand in their lot and place. By unselfish lives they show practical Christianity that leaves the world without excuse. The verse calls for giving up prideful adornments, so that money spent on unnecessary clothing and accessories should instead be used to support God's messengers and their families.

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