Isaiah 62:2, commentary and pictures

For Zion's sake God will not keep peace nor rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation burns as a lamp, and then Gentiles and kings will see her righteousness and glory openly. The Lord Himself will give her a new name with His own mouth, and she shall no more be termed forsaken nor her land desolate, but delighted in and married to Him, the holy people, the redeemed, sought out, a city not forsaken and made a praise in the earth. Those so named become a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in His hand, His precious jewels and honored saved people who keep His commandments. This shining forth is Christ's work made visible when He is lifted up as light, Savior and Redeemer bringing free forgiveness and mercy to the whole world, and it is carried forward by His remnant who rebuild the ruins, hold the banner of truth, and proclaim God's law with faith in Jesus in warning the world that He is coming again with power and great glory. It becomes theirs as they hold fast their confidence to the end, turn from Sabbath-breaking to delight in the Sabbath with God's law in the heart, awake and commune with Him as watchmen who give Him no rest, crowd life with Christlike compassion for the needy and bound, and become new with a new heart and spirit created in righteousness and true holiness.

Zion's Promised Vindication

For Zion's sake and for Jerusalem's sake there is no holding of peace and no rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation burns as a lamp that burns. Then the Gentiles see her righteousness and all kings see her glory. That going forth is God's purpose to exalt His name among all nations. It is the Lord working mightily for His people by His Spirit and bringing deliverance to them, revealing the stately steppings of the Redeemer.

She is called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord Himself shall name, given directly by Him. The new name belongs to His promise that His forgiven people are no longer forsaken but are loved and cherished by Him. It makes them publicly known for righteousness before the Gentiles and for glory before kings and rulers. It belongs to Christ's prayer for triumph and for the nations as His inheritance.

Those so named become a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of God. They are His jewels, precious and honored and saved. This is Christ's estimate of those who obey His commandments, in contrast to the world's estimate by wealth and property.

She shall no more be termed Forsaken nor her land termed Desolate. She shall be called Hephzibah and her land Beulah, because the Lord delights in her and her land is married to Him. She is established and made a praise in the earth, called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, sought out, a city not forsaken.

Fulfillment in Christ's Coming

The promise belongs to Christ's prayer for triumph and for the nations as His inheritance, with Gentiles seeing Zion's righteousness, kings seeing her glory, and the Lord Himself giving her a new name. His mission was to make God's righteousness and glory visible to Gentiles and kings, and at the cross people saw Him lifted up while truth about Him reached many. Those who searched the Scriptures recognized His mission and the free forgiveness and mercy He provided for the whole world. The prophecy stands alongside His coming as Light and Savior and His work of redemption, when Zion's righteousness and salvation become publicly visible and she becomes a crown of glory in His hand.

The prophecy of Jerusalem's righteousness, glory, and new name given by the Lord was misapplied when Jesus came. Misreading prophecies about Christ's glory as promises of a temporal prince led people expecting such a prince to fail to recognize His divinely foretold coming and mission, and so to misunderstand and reject Him when He came as prophecy had declared. The same prophecy applies to the sacred truths entrusted to God's people for presentation to the whole world.

Isaiah 62:1-4 describes the work and vindication of God's remnant people in a time of general departure from truth and righteousness. They rebuild what has been ruined and raise up the foundation of many generations, a restoration connected with faithful observance of the Sabbath and honoring it. They do this by holding the banner of truth firmly and proclaiming the law of God joined with the faith of Jesus. Their righteousness and glory will be seen by Gentiles and kings, and the Lord Himself will give them a new name. This is the aggressive gospel work of the first, second, and third angels' messages warning the world that Christ is coming again with power and great glory.

Conditions and Present Application

The promise is God's purpose to exalt His name among all nations, letting the righteousness of Zion be seen by Gentiles and her glory by kings while the Lord Himself gives her a new name. It becomes the experience of those who hold fast the beginning of their confidence firm to the end and follow Christ's example, and the whole chapter represents the work Christ will do through such followers. It belongs to a time of general departure from truth and righteousness, to those who build the old waste places and raise up the foundation of many generations. That building is done by turning from Sabbath-breaking to call the Sabbath a delight and honor God, by having His righteousness and law in the heart without fearing men, and by returning as the redeemed of the Lord to Zion with singing and everlasting joy.

Those who do the work Christ did on earth, acting as God's helping hand by searching for the needy and opening prison doors to those who are bound, will have their righteousness seen by the Gentiles and their glory seen by all kings. They will be called by a new name named by the mouth of the Lord, be a crown of glory in His hand and a royal diadem in the hand of God, and be given a name of honor as the Lord's priests and ministers. God accomplishes His wonderful work through willing servants so His name is constantly glorified, clothing them with salvation and righteousness and causing righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations with everlasting joy. Believers are therefore to crowd all possible goodness and love and compassion into life so these words may be said of them.

The shining forth comes when God's people wake up, shake off careless indifference, and commune with God until imbued with His Spirit, then go forth with unceasing activity. They serve as watchmen upon the walls who never hold peace day nor night and give Him no rest till Jerusalem is established and made a praise in the earth. They enter the gates, prepare the way of the people, cast up the highway, gather out the stones, and lift up a standard proclaiming that salvation comes with reward and work, and they are called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, sought out, a city not forsaken. That labor begins first in families and then reaches beyond to those wandering in sin and far from Christ, bestowing on the needy the grace received. It is the working of God's vineyard by sending out means and laborers and scattering truth widely to souls starving for the bread of life instead of binding it about and centralizing it in one or two places, and those delivered respond with praise and thanksgiving and offerings of gratitude so His work goes forward with power.

The chapter is a decisive message to God's people calling for reformation among the congregation of Israel. When those responsible heed it and turn from complaining and evil deeds and repent, the Lord will manifest His power in convincing and converting souls and appear to bring conviction and conversion. The promise of righteousness and glory visible to Gentiles and kings, with a new name given by God Himself to His forgiven people, encourages those facing accusations to keep their confidence in God. These words call for a clear testimony to the world, borne with faith, hope, courage, and assurance. Receiving that new name belongs to becoming new through God's work, putting away the old life, receiving a new heart and spirit, being created in righteousness and true holiness, and becoming a new person.

The Jewish nation's neglect of obedience, mercy, and compassion hid this public witness from the Gentile world. Faithful, fruitful lives would have displayed God's goodness and led many to glorify Him and believe in Jesus Christ. The promise belongs to the worldwide plan of redemption.