In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
In that day a word is spoken to Jerusalem and Zion to lay aside fear and keep their hands strong and steady for work rather than letting them hang down in discouragement, because judgment is removed, the enemy is driven out, and the Lord as King dwells among his people as one mighty to save. He abides in their midst rejoicing over them with delight, resting in his love and singing over them in tender care for their salvation. That reassurance reveals him as a loving Father who welcomes the returning sinner with joy rather than angry accusation, a love shown when Christ veiled his divinity in humanity and poured out his life on the cross, in which gift the Father gave all heaven to recover the lost. The promise belongs to the afflicted and poor remnant who trust in his name and turn from iniquity and falsehood, whom he gathers, heals, restores from shame to praise, and brings back from captivity. Therefore his people in trouble, in discouraging fields, and in work for souls are to take courage, work on in faith without failing, and bear a joyful testimony to his saving presence, assured that he is in their midst as a present help.
Promise and Setting
In that day a word is to be spoken to Jerusalem and to Zion, telling them to put away fear and not to let their hands grow slack, weak, hanging down or losing heart, but to keep them strong, active and steady for work with confidence and renewed strength in the day of deliverance. The reason is that their judgments are taken away and their enemy is cast out, and the Lord as King of Israel dwells in their midst so that they will see evil no more, present among them as one mighty to save. Because Jehovah is in the midst, Jerusalem need not fear and Zion need not lose heart, for He has removed condemnation, driven out the foe, and abides as a mighty Savior.
In that presence the Lord their God rejoices over them with joy, rests in His love, and sings over them with singing, delighting in His people and caring for their salvation. That rejoicing is heaven's joy over every guilty perishing soul saved through believers' instrumentality, with thanksgiving from saved souls and the music of angelic harps accompanying the melody of the voice. The promise belongs to the afflicted and poor remnant left in the midst who trust in the name of the Lord, the remnant of Israel who do no iniquity and speak no lies and who feed and lie down with none to make them afraid.
At that time He gathers those who are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, undoes all who afflict her, saves her who halts and is lame, and gathers her who was driven out. He gives them praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame, brings them back and makes them a name and a praise among all people of the earth when He turns back their captivity. This follows the punishment of every deceitful, lying tongue that caused His people to err and to turn from righteousness, and it removes judgments and enemies to turn shame into praise for His afflicted people.
It belongs to the prophecy's vision of restoration and future triumph for the true church beyond impending judgment, fulfilled in the day of victory when all heaven and all the universe of heaven triumph over evil. The judgments pronounced on Judah also apply to the judgments upon the impenitent world at the second advent of Christ. That final victory in the conflict between good and evil is watched with intense interest by the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds and the heavenly courts, who join with angels' harps and voices in the song of triumph.
Saving Love Revealed
The reassurance to Jerusalem and Zion not to fear or let their hands grow weak reveals God as a loving Father who welcomes the returning sinner with joy, not as a severe judge meeting the sinner with angry accusation. That saving love was shown when Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, suffered stripes, was bruised for iniquities, bore the chastisement of peace, poured out His life on the cross for the one lost sheep, and stands as Advocate of the sinful family. In that gift the Father gave all heaven in His Son, even giving Himself in His Son to have the joy of receiving back the lost, with all heaven enlisted and all its resources at the command of workers to seek and save the lost and to recover the guilty sheep.
The verse is fulfilled when the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep and rejoices, with His song of rejoicing reaching the heavenly courts. In that day hearts are opened to receive light and love and pardon and to receive the impress of Christ, thanksgiving rises from saved human hearts because souls are saved, angels rejoice to see it, and heavenly beings take up this word as their song of praise over God's people. It belongs to the day of victory when all heaven triumphs over evil, with angels' harps sending forth music accompanying the melody of the voice, and to the day of final victory in the conflict between good and evil watched with intense interest by the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds and the heavenly courts, when every victory gained over Satan's subtleties met with "It is written" becomes a gem in the crown of life and angels' harps and voices join in triumph.
The word was spoken to Israel who had chosen to serve Him, and it is spoken in the same way to those living in 1897, as a call to backsliders to return to the Lord at once without delay with assurance of His saving presence and rejoicing love. It is God's word when a soul breaks away from Satan's power and black banner to stand under the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel, welcomed by angels who guarded the wanderer from perishing in sin and transgression, over which the heavenly universe shows deep interest and joy. To the converted who are told not to fear or grow weak and slack-handed, it means God gives courage, assurance and strength to hold firm in the new life without discouragement, belonging to a great moral revival and reformation of thoughts, words and actions in a soul saved from death.
Courage for Service
For God's people facing trouble and the need to restore his work, the word to Jerusalem and Zion is to put away fear and not let the hands grow weak, but to take courage and keep working in trust that the Lord is with them. It means cheerful courage and steady hands instead of discouragement. That courage is part of the testimony to be borne to the world.
All who realize the nearness of the Lord must act their faith and show heart-and-soul interest when one of his instrumentalities is languishing or in peril. They are to become one in mind and heart with the heavenly intelligences so they can be worked by them. Unitedly they are to take of the Lord's own substance and use it to lift the burdens resting on his institutions, with assurance that the Lord will cooperate with them. This belongs to the day when the afflicted and poor remnant trust in the name of the Lord, do no iniquity and speak no lies, feed and lie down with none to make them afraid, have judgments taken away and the enemy cast out, have the King of Israel in the midst and see evil no more, and have the mighty God in the midst to save and to rejoice over them with joy and singing.
Those laboring for the salvation of souls are to work with courage and faith because the Lord God in the midst is mighty to save and a present help in every trouble. They are to brace against disappointment and temptation to discouragement, seek the Lord most earnestly, work on amid reproaches and trials without failing, and pray and believe until they see the salvation of God. They can rest in his love while he rejoices over them with singing. When the work looks feeble and discouraging or is hindered by unbelief, discouraged laborers in hard and unpromising fields still have reason to go forward with courage without failing or growing weary and idle. They follow Christ, who left the heavenly courts to save proud hearts, often wept over rejection, yet did not fail nor become discouraged, but rejoiced to free souls from bondage to sin and bring eternal life to all who believe through the agony of the cross. When even one soul is snatched from Satan's power as a trophy of the Redeemer's sacrifice, all heaven breaks into triumphant exultation with the angels, showing the joy in heaven over every guilty perishing soul that believers are instrumental in saving.
In the soul-saving work to be done in sanitariums, where sympathy and the truths of health reform and Christ's life-giving words are brought before patients and helpers to heal the wounds sin has made, Jerusalem and Zion are told not to fear or let their hands grow slack. There the Lord is in the midst as one mighty to save, and when that work is done faithfully heaven is interested and rejoices over it with joy and singing. The verse is part of the testimony God desires to have borne to the world, meaning continual praise in hearts and on lips and glad rejoicing in salvation because the Lord is in the midst to save. Such joyful testimony influences the world by showing unbelievers something better than self-indulgent efforts to secure happiness. God is present with his people, so they need not fear or lose heart, for he is mighty to save, delights in his people, and rests in his love.
It is spoken in the day when God's salvation is near to come and his righteousness is to be revealed, to those who keep judgment and do justice, who keep the Sabbath from polluting it and the hand from doing evil, who turn from their own pleasure on God's holy day and call the Sabbath a delight. To such comes delight in the Lord, being caused to ride upon the high places of the earth and fed with the heritage of Jacob, because the mighty God in their midst will save, will rejoice over them with joy, will rest in his love, and will joy over them with singing. It belongs to God's promise that his covenant-keeping people will stand true to his honor and carefully guard one another's interests in unity. As stewards entrusted with money and advantages to use for one another as his hand of ministration in imparting blessings and gifts, united in covenant obedience with continual praise they will be a praise in the earth whom God can bless with still greater temporal and spiritual advantages and honor above transgressors of his law. Joined to what follows about the Lord in the midst mighty to save and rejoicing with joy and singing, it brings songs of joy from the heart and unspeakable joy of mind to those who receive Christ by faith, as softening surroundings in the open air and the beauties of nature lead thoughts to the glories of the heavenly home Christ has gone to prepare, with the Bible given to point out the way there and prepare the soul for bliss.
In that day a word is spoken to Jerusalem and Zion to lay aside fear and keep their hands strong and steady for work rather than letting them hang down in discouragement, because judgment is removed, the enemy is driven out, and the Lord as King dwells among his people as one mighty to save. He abides in their midst rejoicing over them with delight, resting in his love and singing over them in tender care for their salvation. That reassurance reveals him as a loving Father who welcomes the returning sinner with joy rather than angry accusation, a love shown when Christ veiled his divinity in humanity and poured out his life on the cross, in which gift the Father gave all heaven to recover the lost. The promise belongs to the afflicted and poor remnant who trust in his name and turn from iniquity and falsehood, whom he gathers, heals, restores from shame to praise, and brings back from captivity. Therefore his people in trouble, in discouraging fields, and in work for souls are to take courage, work on in faith without failing, and bear a joyful testimony to his saving presence, assured that he is in their midst as a present help.
Promise and Setting
In that day a word is to be spoken to Jerusalem and to Zion, telling them to put away fear and not to let their hands grow slack, weak, hanging down or losing heart, but to keep them strong, active and steady for work with confidence and renewed strength in the day of deliverance. The reason is that their judgments are taken away and their enemy is cast out, and the Lord as King of Israel dwells in their midst so that they will see evil no more, present among them as one mighty to save. Because Jehovah is in the midst, Jerusalem need not fear and Zion need not lose heart, for He has removed condemnation, driven out the foe, and abides as a mighty Savior.
In that presence the Lord their God rejoices over them with joy, rests in His love, and sings over them with singing, delighting in His people and caring for their salvation. That rejoicing is heaven's joy over every guilty perishing soul saved through believers' instrumentality, with thanksgiving from saved souls and the music of angelic harps accompanying the melody of the voice. The promise belongs to the afflicted and poor remnant left in the midst who trust in the name of the Lord, the remnant of Israel who do no iniquity and speak no lies and who feed and lie down with none to make them afraid.
At that time He gathers those who are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, undoes all who afflict her, saves her who halts and is lame, and gathers her who was driven out. He gives them praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame, brings them back and makes them a name and a praise among all people of the earth when He turns back their captivity. This follows the punishment of every deceitful, lying tongue that caused His people to err and to turn from righteousness, and it removes judgments and enemies to turn shame into praise for His afflicted people.
It belongs to the prophecy's vision of restoration and future triumph for the true church beyond impending judgment, fulfilled in the day of victory when all heaven and all the universe of heaven triumph over evil. The judgments pronounced on Judah also apply to the judgments upon the impenitent world at the second advent of Christ. That final victory in the conflict between good and evil is watched with intense interest by the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds and the heavenly courts, who join with angels' harps and voices in the song of triumph.
Saving Love Revealed
The reassurance to Jerusalem and Zion not to fear or let their hands grow weak reveals God as a loving Father who welcomes the returning sinner with joy, not as a severe judge meeting the sinner with angry accusation. That saving love was shown when Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, suffered stripes, was bruised for iniquities, bore the chastisement of peace, poured out His life on the cross for the one lost sheep, and stands as Advocate of the sinful family. In that gift the Father gave all heaven in His Son, even giving Himself in His Son to have the joy of receiving back the lost, with all heaven enlisted and all its resources at the command of workers to seek and save the lost and to recover the guilty sheep.
The verse is fulfilled when the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep and rejoices, with His song of rejoicing reaching the heavenly courts. In that day hearts are opened to receive light and love and pardon and to receive the impress of Christ, thanksgiving rises from saved human hearts because souls are saved, angels rejoice to see it, and heavenly beings take up this word as their song of praise over God's people. It belongs to the day of victory when all heaven triumphs over evil, with angels' harps sending forth music accompanying the melody of the voice, and to the day of final victory in the conflict between good and evil watched with intense interest by the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds and the heavenly courts, when every victory gained over Satan's subtleties met with "It is written" becomes a gem in the crown of life and angels' harps and voices join in triumph.
The word was spoken to Israel who had chosen to serve Him, and it is spoken in the same way to those living in 1897, as a call to backsliders to return to the Lord at once without delay with assurance of His saving presence and rejoicing love. It is God's word when a soul breaks away from Satan's power and black banner to stand under the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel, welcomed by angels who guarded the wanderer from perishing in sin and transgression, over which the heavenly universe shows deep interest and joy. To the converted who are told not to fear or grow weak and slack-handed, it means God gives courage, assurance and strength to hold firm in the new life without discouragement, belonging to a great moral revival and reformation of thoughts, words and actions in a soul saved from death.
Courage for Service
For God's people facing trouble and the need to restore his work, the word to Jerusalem and Zion is to put away fear and not let the hands grow weak, but to take courage and keep working in trust that the Lord is with them. It means cheerful courage and steady hands instead of discouragement. That courage is part of the testimony to be borne to the world.
All who realize the nearness of the Lord must act their faith and show heart-and-soul interest when one of his instrumentalities is languishing or in peril. They are to become one in mind and heart with the heavenly intelligences so they can be worked by them. Unitedly they are to take of the Lord's own substance and use it to lift the burdens resting on his institutions, with assurance that the Lord will cooperate with them. This belongs to the day when the afflicted and poor remnant trust in the name of the Lord, do no iniquity and speak no lies, feed and lie down with none to make them afraid, have judgments taken away and the enemy cast out, have the King of Israel in the midst and see evil no more, and have the mighty God in the midst to save and to rejoice over them with joy and singing.
Those laboring for the salvation of souls are to work with courage and faith because the Lord God in the midst is mighty to save and a present help in every trouble. They are to brace against disappointment and temptation to discouragement, seek the Lord most earnestly, work on amid reproaches and trials without failing, and pray and believe until they see the salvation of God. They can rest in his love while he rejoices over them with singing. When the work looks feeble and discouraging or is hindered by unbelief, discouraged laborers in hard and unpromising fields still have reason to go forward with courage without failing or growing weary and idle. They follow Christ, who left the heavenly courts to save proud hearts, often wept over rejection, yet did not fail nor become discouraged, but rejoiced to free souls from bondage to sin and bring eternal life to all who believe through the agony of the cross. When even one soul is snatched from Satan's power as a trophy of the Redeemer's sacrifice, all heaven breaks into triumphant exultation with the angels, showing the joy in heaven over every guilty perishing soul that believers are instrumental in saving.
In the soul-saving work to be done in sanitariums, where sympathy and the truths of health reform and Christ's life-giving words are brought before patients and helpers to heal the wounds sin has made, Jerusalem and Zion are told not to fear or let their hands grow slack. There the Lord is in the midst as one mighty to save, and when that work is done faithfully heaven is interested and rejoices over it with joy and singing. The verse is part of the testimony God desires to have borne to the world, meaning continual praise in hearts and on lips and glad rejoicing in salvation because the Lord is in the midst to save. Such joyful testimony influences the world by showing unbelievers something better than self-indulgent efforts to secure happiness. God is present with his people, so they need not fear or lose heart, for he is mighty to save, delights in his people, and rests in his love.
It is spoken in the day when God's salvation is near to come and his righteousness is to be revealed, to those who keep judgment and do justice, who keep the Sabbath from polluting it and the hand from doing evil, who turn from their own pleasure on God's holy day and call the Sabbath a delight. To such comes delight in the Lord, being caused to ride upon the high places of the earth and fed with the heritage of Jacob, because the mighty God in their midst will save, will rejoice over them with joy, will rest in his love, and will joy over them with singing. It belongs to God's promise that his covenant-keeping people will stand true to his honor and carefully guard one another's interests in unity. As stewards entrusted with money and advantages to use for one another as his hand of ministration in imparting blessings and gifts, united in covenant obedience with continual praise they will be a praise in the earth whom God can bless with still greater temporal and spiritual advantages and honor above transgressors of his law. Joined to what follows about the Lord in the midst mighty to save and rejoicing with joy and singing, it brings songs of joy from the heart and unspeakable joy of mind to those who receive Christ by faith, as softening surroundings in the open air and the beauties of nature lead thoughts to the glories of the heavenly home Christ has gone to prepare, with the Bible given to point out the way there and prepare the soul for bliss.