The Coming Kingdom

In chapter 65 the prophet begins to give us a description of the coming kingdom.
• It would seem that no one will die before age 100 and will still be considered a child at that age. (v20)
• Every person will enjoy the fruit of their labor. (v22)
• God will anticipate their every need. (v24)
• Wolf and lamb, lion and calf will dwell in harmony with one another. (v25)

The prophet declares an amazing revelation from God in chapter 66, verse 8. I will again excerpt from my journal.

Is. 66:7-9 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

The “she” who travailed is identified as Zion/Jerusalem/Israel in verse 8.

“before” she travailed – The prophet is using the illustration of a woman giving birth to explain his message. Travail in Hebrew means to “writhe in pain.” This is obviously a reference to labor pains. Because of my interest in prophecy, I can’t help but make some connections here. The Lord Himself used the terminology of birth pains in His Olivet Discourse to describe the times that would precede His second coming. Before Jesus could come the second time, He had to come the first time. I believe He was the man child being referenced in verse 7. This same terminology is used in the book of Revelation in reference to His birth.

Rev. 12:5 And she (Israel) brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Verse 8 seems to jump forward in time to the rebirth of the nation of Israel of which Isaiah has spoken so many times, the time when they will turn in faith and repentance to God and enjoy His blessings for eternity, never to reject Him again. Israel was reborn as a nation in one day through the declaration of the United Nations on May 14, 1948. Since that time the Jewish population in Israel has continued to grow.

“as soon as” Zion travailed – This indicates that labor pains would precede the birth of the nation. In God’s perspective of time, those labor pains could include the whole of their persecution since being dispersed by the Romans. I would tend more to relate that to the gestation period, the time preparing them for birth, and the holocaust of World War II as the actual birth pains.

I like the wording of the New Living Translation for verse 9: Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?” asks the LORD. “No! I would never keep this nation from being born,” says your God.

This is all seems to clear to me from a position of hindsight, but I can’t help but wonder what the people of Judah and even Isaiah himself understood this to mean.

This concludes my postings from the prophet Isaiah.