Knowing the Lord

Isaiah prophesies an end-time scenario in which the people of the Lord are “taken over without price” by godless political leaders. The Lord responds by sending his servant to herald his coming as the embodiment of his people’s Salvation (yeshu’ah—also the name of Jesus: Yeshua). His people’s coming to know his “name” in that day signifies their coming to know him personally, as when Israel’s high priest spoke the name of yhvh in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement and the Lord appeared to him.

“And now, what have I here? says Jehovah. My people are taken over without price; those who govern them act presumptuously, says Jehovah, and my name is constantly abused all the day. Therefore shall my people come to know my name; in that day [they shall know] that I, who speak, am at hand. [Then shall they say,] How comely upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger announcing peace, who brings tidings of good, who heralds Salvation, saying to Zion, Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:5–7)

At a time when the world’s end-time superpower—typified by the ancient world’s superpower, Egypt—spirals into chaos on account of its rulers’ incompetency (Isaiah 19:2–15), a brotherhood of covenanters in the land offers up an acceptable sacrifice to the God of Israel. In response, the Lord manifests himself to the covenanters and they come to know him personally. Meanwhile, as covenant curses overtake the land’s inhabitants on account of their collective guilt, a “harsh ruler” takes over the reins of government (Isaiah 19:4) and foreign powers see their opportunity to invade (Isaiah 20:4). Although the Lord “smites” the world’s superpower in this manner, by so doing he also “heals” it.

“In that day there shall be an altar [erected] to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt and a monument to Jehovah at its border. They shall serve as a sign and testimony of Jehovah of Hosts in the land of Egypt: when they cry out to Jehovah because of the oppressors, he will send them a savior, who will take up their cause and deliver them. Jehovah will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall know Jehovah in that day. They will worship by sacrifice and offerings, and make vows to Jehovah and fulfill them. Jehovah will smite Egypt, and by smiting heal it: they will turn back to Jehovah, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.” (Isaiah 19:19–22)

Even though an end-time “king of Assyria” and his military alliance commit mass genocide and cause worldwide chaos in God’s Day of Judgment (Isaiah 10:5–15), they merely serve as the Lord’s instrument of punishing a corrupt humanity—the wicked destroying the wicked. These conditions create the occasion for the Lord to deliver his scattered people of the house of Israel from bondage to enemies as he did in times past, by such means revealing himself to them as their Savior and Redeemer.

“Can the warrior’s spoil be taken from him, or the tyrant’s captives escape free? Yet thus says Jehovah: The warrior’s spoil shall indeed be taken from him, and the tyrant’s captives escape free: I myself will contend with your contenders, and I will deliver your children. I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh; they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. And all flesh shall know that I Jehovah am your Savior, that your Redeemer is the Valiant One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 49:24–26)