Isaiah 40:2
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
God commands His messengers to speak comfort to Jerusalem by declaring that her appointed struggle is finished and her guilt is forgiven, making pardon and the end of conflict the ground of comfort. Her warfare is an appointed time of suffering, hardship and distress now brought to its complete end, and her receiving double is receiving the full and more than sufficient measure of punishment for her sins. That pardon came after severe chastisement, dispersion and captivity, where covenant mercy still gave hope and humiliation was meant to lead to repentance and seeking the Lord. The same promise places the redeemed in God's city and presence, free from sin and every mark of the curse, when at Christ's return He welcomes those whose struggle is over into the kingdom and the joy of their Lord. It therefore commissions His people today to give comfort and a certain sound by presenting truth as it is in Jesus, reading this word of promise for encouragement, speaking faith, hope and courage, and trusting in the Lord alone while doing earnest work of repentance.
Comfort and Pardon Explained
God commands comfort to be spoken to Jerusalem, and commands crying to her that her appointed conflict is finished and her guilt is forgiven, so that pardon and the ending of warfare are the very grounds of the comfort given. The comfort is not vague reassurance but a proclamation to be announced aloud that suffering is complete and iniquity is pardoned.
The word for warfare denotes an appointed time of suffering, hardship, distress and struggle, a set period of affliction that has now run its full course to its complete end. Its accomplishment means the time of hardship is finished, the distress is over, and the struggle is closed.
The pardon of iniquity means guilt is forgiven after severe chastisement, dispersion and captivity have done their work. Covenant mercy did not leave the captives without hope in that humiliation, for the humiliation was designed to lead them to repentance and to seeking the Lord. That assurance especially strengthened faithful young people who suffered alongside the guilty, with the promise that God would strengthen them and that their integrity could preserve hope for the nation.
To have received double for all sins means to have received the full measure of punishment, fully met and more than enough for the consequences of sin. The penalty is not partial or still outstanding but complete, and therefore forgiveness and the end of suffering can be declared.
These words belong to divine compassion given to be read and studied by all who believe, whose great object is the uplifting of fallen humanity through messengers sent from the throne to minister to weak and helpless heirs of salvation. They give the correct meaning of true higher education. They were written to comfort true believers amid afflicting judgments near the close of earth's history, including earthquakes, storms on land and sea, and heavy calamities by sea and by railroad. In that time many who have greatly sinned perish physically, while sincere, humble, righteous followers are themselves afflicted by the results of those judgments upon the rebellious. The declaration is full of promise and encouragement and will certainly be fulfilled, and those in the latter days who fulfill its terms place themselves where all that has been promised will surely be done.
Future Glory Foretold
In the vision of future glory the verse places the redeemed in God's city and presence, free from sin and every mark of the curse. It describes Jerusalem comforted because her struggle and time of suffering are complete and her guilt is forgiven. That pardon belongs to the joy of the redeemed where sickness and crying are no more. In that promised future setting the verse assures Jerusalem of forgiveness and the end of suffering and hardship, declaring her time of hardship complete and that she has received from the Lord full measure and more for her sins. It promises release from conflict and entrance into the promised land to share in future triumphs.
The assurance that warfare is accomplished applies to Christ's return and the welcome to the redeemed when they reach their heavenly home. Jesus will speak to those whose struggle is over and receive them into the kingdom and into the joy of their Lord. The warfare is ended when the word comes from heaven that it is done, after united striving for victory. Then many true to God enter the city of God through gates swung open to receive them, with harps in their hands and crowns on their heads, to go no more out forever with no tempter to draw them away from God. It is eternal salvation, seeing the King in His beauty, bringing children into the city to be crowned and to praise Him who gave His life for them.
The same language gives courage in present suffering that personal trials and life's work will end. Believers should be of good courage because their warfare here will soon be accomplished, and if they serve faithfully until then they will see the Saviour they love and soon see the King in His beauty. The phrase when our warfare is accomplished describes the completion of life's struggle, with hope of meeting again after that struggle is over. That wording for warfare coming to its end refers to the end of a person's work and trials and the end of life's struggle.
When the warfare is ended the faithful will meet their loved ones again in the City of God and kingdom of God. It is a word to be of good cheer belonging to those who no longer distrust Christ but go forward in faith. It belongs to those who faithfully do the work of preparing the living to become members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King, who help others to be cheerful, uplift souls, and lead them to accept Christ. It belongs to those who stop torturing their souls and are humble, true, and faithful.
Proclaiming Comfort Today
Isaiah 40:2 is a commission to speak comfort to Jerusalem and to give the trumpet a certain sound. That sounding means presenting the truth in its power as it is in Jesus, with the mind stayed on God and filled with His Holy Spirit. It requires standing on the platform of eternal truth and presenting the affirmative of truth, without accusing and without saying anything to arouse enmity and strife. It is needed where believers require the Holy Spirit's guidance and the deep moving of the Spirit of God, as in Battle Creek. Joined to the call to prepare the Lord's way, the comfort that hardship is ended and iniquity pardoned is proclaimed through God's Word and the good news of salvation, and that proclamation removes obstacles to the redemption of sinners.
The verse is a word of promise to be read for encouragement when discouraged. It confirms the sure mercies and grace and glory of God toward Jerusalem. It calls for faith in God and for speaking words of truth, making the message a message of faith and hope and assurance that gains precious victories as faith takes possession of the heart and speaks faith and hope and courage. It is daily counsel from God to be read and prayed over, as light of the Word to be appreciated. It is a call to put away unbelief, a rebuke of commercialism woven into religious experience, and a call for the refining influence of the Holy Spirit.
The verse teaches that the Lord alone is to be the trust of His people, and they are not to trust in men or make flesh their arm. The Lord is not to be trifled with. He calls His people to diligent and most earnest work of repentance, and He gives strength to His own people.