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Isaiah chapter 12

What does Isaiah chapter 12 mean?

Isaiah 12 concludes a section of the book of Isaiah that began in chapter 7. It follows Isaiah's description of the glorious kingdom to come in Israel's distant future. This will be when the "root of Jesse," the Messiah, Jesus Christ, returns to earth and establishes His kingdom (Isaiah 11:10). Among other things, He will gather the scattered people of Israel, reunite them as one nation, and give them final victory over their enemies (Isaiah 11:11–16).

In this chapter Isaiah promises that on that day, Israel will direct their attention to the Lord and thank Him for all He has done for them. They will acknowledge that He was rightfully angry with them. But they will also thank Him for restraining His anger and mercifully giving them comfort (Isaiah 12:1).

Modern readers may wonder if the people of Israel found this prediction hard to believe. The were given this prophecy while suffering through the judgment of the Lord for their faithlessness to Him. A peaceful, grateful future would have been hard to imagine as the bodies were piled high, their homes were plundered, and their people were marched off into exile. Exactly how people reacted to the introduction of this prophecy is unknown. It is a sobering thought and adds context to reading Isaiah's chapter.

Isaiah insists that all who read his book understand that the Lord will judge His people for their sin. But salvation will come in the end in and through the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel. In that day, they will declare that God is their salvation. They will fully trust Him so much that there will be no more room for fear. They will tell Him directly that He is their strength and song and salvation. They will not speak these words to any foreign king or any false god. They will recognize that God alone is their salvation (Isaiah 12:2).

They will joyfully participate in the Lords' salvation, fully and eternally provided for by the Lord. In that time, they will call each other and the world to join them in praising their God. The Lord's people will call on one another to praise God. They will encourage each other to share the stories of His works among the peoples of the world. They will make clear as day to all nations to join them in exalting the name of the Messiah (Isaiah 12:3–4).

This time in Israel's future will be a party. They will sing public praises to the Lord and call attention to His glory. They will spread the word of His greatness to every corner of the globe. The inhabitants of Zion, Jerusalem, will shout and sing for joy because the Promised Savior Israel is with them (Isaiah 12:5–6).
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