Isaiah 59:18
According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
According to deeds He repays fury to adversaries and recompense to enemies, even to distant islands. When judgment fails and truth falls with no man to intercede, His own arm brings salvation as He clothes Himself with righteousness, salvation, vengeance and zeal. He is the Messiah and righteous judge whose righteousness does not cover transgression but confronts sin to lead sinners to see its true nature. With judgment He brings salvation and deliverance to those who turn from transgression, causes His name to be feared from west to east, and by His Spirit lifts a standard when the enemy comes like a flood. This describes the world just before the second coming when iniquity abounds, and is fulfilled after His priestly intercession ends when He lays off priestly attire for garments of vengeance to pour out wrath in the seven last plagues, not when He hung as the slain lamb nor while He stood with arms of mercy from the ascension to October 1844.
Meaning and Context
According to deeds there is repayment, fury to adversaries and recompense to enemies, reaching even to distant lands and islands. His righteousness does not cover a transgressor's sins, but His integrity and hatred of sin bring salvation by striving to lead sinners to recognize sin's true nature, confronting sin rather than covering it up. This judgment belongs with His zeal and righteousness and within His work of salvation for a world perishing in sin and His deliverance of His people.
Its setting is the failure of judgment and justice, when judgment is turned away backward and stands afar off, truth has fallen in the street and fails, equity cannot enter, he that departs from evil makes himself a prey, there is no man and no intercessor, and the Lord is displeased that there is no judgment. He sees this failure, walks through business rooms and is present in council meetings, and nothing is hidden from Him. In that need His own arm brings salvation and His righteousness sustains Him, as He puts on righteousness as a breastplate and salvation as a helmet, vengeance as clothing and zeal as a cloak.
Within the prophecy this repayment follows His intervention to bring salvation and righteousness and precedes reverence for His name from the west to the rising of the sun and the coming of the Redeemer to Zion. It is part of His deliverance of His people and leads people from west to east and throughout the world to fear His name and glory, while by His Spirit He lifts up a standard when the enemy comes in like a flood, and the Redeemer comes to Zion and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob. This mighty working brings deliverance and calls for praise, thanksgiving, and offerings of gratitude so His work may go forward with power.
The chapter portrays the character of the priests and rabbis and unrighteous religious leaders in the time of Christ. They perverted prophecies of the Messiah's glorious reign and dominion by contemptuous contrast with His humble appearance, repeating prophecies of His reigning gloriously in Zion and having dominion from sea to sea and then making contemptuous comparisons with the humble appearance of Jesus, to mislead even the convinced and sanction error by false reasoning. Christ's work sets right what such leaders had distorted.
Judgment and Salvation
The verse presents the Messiah as the righteous judge who punishes wickedness, repaying each according to deeds with fury to adversaries and recompense to enemies, even to those in distant lands and islands. That vengeance is joined to righteousness and zeal, and belongs within His work of salvation for a world perishing in sin. His righteousness and integrity do not cover a transgressor's sins, but bring salvation by confronting sin rather than hiding it. They strive to lead sinners to recognize the true nature of sin and to hate it as He does.
This judgment is part of God's deliverance of His people. It is part of His work of salvation and righteousness for the world, leading men from the west to the east, from the setting of the sun to its rising, to fear His name and glory. When there is no man and no intercessor, the Lord Himself brings salvation by His own arm, sustained by His own righteousness. His mighty working to redeem and deliver calls for praise, thanksgiving, and offerings of gratitude so that His work may go forward with power.
Alongside the repayment He brings salvation and redemption to Zion and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression. He puts on righteousness as a breastplate and salvation as a helmet, vengeance for clothing and zeal for a cloak. When judgment is turned away backward, justice stands afar off, truth is fallen and fails in the street, equity cannot enter, and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey, His own arm thus brings salvation. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him, so that the name of the Lord is feared from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun.
Prophecy and Application
The prophecy portrays the condition of the world just before the second coming, when the end of all things is at hand. Iniquity then abounds because the law is transgressed and the everlasting covenant, given on condition of obedience, is broken by continual transgression. The world comes ever more under the sway of seducing spirits as men turn away from God and His righteous government, while those professing godliness indulge their own traits of character and, unless conscientiously under the control of God, become self-indulgent and self-centered.
The recompense of fury to adversaries and enemies according to deeds is fulfilled after the sanctuary ministry as merciful High Priest over the house of God is finished. Then priestly attire is laid off and garments of vengeance for clothing and most kingly robes are put on, to execute judgment on the living wicked. That execution is the wrath of God and of the Lamb in the vials of wrath poured out on the living wicked in the seven last plagues, in which is filled up all the wrath of God to be poured out upon the living wicked. It belongs to the future day of wrath after intercession ends, a prophecy in fulfillment since October 1844. That day does not belong to the crucifixion, when He was the meek slain Lamb, nor to the time from the ascension to October 1844, when He stood with widespread arms of love and mercy to receive sinners and plead their cause.
Nothing is hidden from this searching, for He walks through business rooms and is present in council meetings, seeing the failure of judgment and justice when truth has fallen and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey, and He is displeased that there is no judgment. He will not justify any evil thing, scheming and dishonest plans, or principles that tarnish sacred places. Therefore there must be conversion in every institution, with a determined victory held and a turning and overturning until every unrighteous principle is expelled. Our only hope is in Him as stay and staff, with no strength except in His strength, and when the sanctification of His Spirit becomes the controlling power He will bless His people.
The repayment, reaching even to distant lands and islands, will be fulfilled as His people take the position appointed them and reveal His love to others. His mighty working to bring deliverance to His people, so that His name is feared and His glory honored, calls for praise and thanksgiving. It calls also for offerings of gratitude, so that His work may go forward with power.