9:1 (8:23) The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. In earlier times he humiliated the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali; but now he brings honor to the way of the sea, the region beyond the Jordan, and Galilee of the nations.
Verse 1-7 complete the second chapter of “The Book of Immanuel” (Isaiah 7-12). The theme is that the coming of Immanuel would be the only hope of Israel.
Isaiah looked into the future. He saw that the Northern Kingdom was going to become gloom and darkness. He saw that the two Jewish tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali would be destroyed by the Assyrian Empire.
When Assyria attacked the Northern Kingdom, Zebulun and Naphtali were the first two tribes to be defeated. The Northern Kingdom came to a complete end. It would no longer exist in history as a separate state of Israel. The Israelites who survived the Assyrian attack were relocated. They intermarried with Gentiles and became the despised Samaritans. Under Gentile domination, this area was called the “Galilee of the Gentiles.”
The gloom and darkness of Zebulun and Naphtali would eventually disappear when Immanuel arrives. Immanuel would be raised as a boy in Nazareth, which was located in Zebulun, He would establish his headquarters in Capernaum, which was located in Naphtali. Immanuel would spend most of his time teaching near the Sea of Galilee, which was in both of these regions.
In the future, Jewish rabbis would avoid this Galilee area. They would avoid the Samaritans as well. They saw the Samaritans as a half-breed mongrel race of Jewish and Gentile blood. They saw Jesus as an untrained rabbi and a false prophet from this despised region.
9:2 (9:1) The people walking in darkness see a bright light; light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness.
When Immanuel arrives in Zebulun and Naphtali, then the people would be walking in spiritual darkness. They would be living in the darkness of satanic paganism and religious tradition. They mixed the teachings of the Old Testament with satanic paganism from the Gentiles in which they intermarried. The bright light that they would see would be Immanuel. He would be the light who would lead them out of spiritual darkness.
9:3 You have enlarged the nation; you give them great joy. They rejoice in your presence as harvesters rejoice; as warriors celebrate when they divide up the plunder.
Isaiah hen looked into the distant future to the Millennial Kingdom. The “you” is God the Father. He will enlarge the population of the nation of Israel greatly, just as He promised through the Abrahamic Covenant. He will give Millennial Israel a new king. This new king will be Immanuel. Immanuel will increase their joy, causing them to rejoice. Millennial Israel will rejoice just as the farmer rejoices at harvest time. Millennial Israel will rejoice just like a soldier rejoices when he wins a tough battle and gathers valuable plunder.
9:4 For their oppressive yoke and the club that strikes their shoulders, the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat.
Isaiah looked into the future and saw that the Antichrist will place a heavy yoke upon Israel which they will not be able to carry. Therefore, Immanuel will crush the Antichrist, just as Gideon crushed the Midianites.
9:5 Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth and every garment dragged through blood is used as fuel for the fire.
During the Millennial Kingdom, there will be no more war. Therefore, Immanuel will burn all of the weapons of war.
9:6 For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Extraordinary Strategist, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
When Immanuel arrives, then He would possess human and divine qualities.
First, He would be born into the world as a child by natural birth. This natural birth meant that Immanuel must be human. He must grow and develop into an adult.
Second, God the Father would give Immanuel to the world as a gift.
Third, Immanuel will be given governmental responsibility. Israel could never self-govern herself. During the Millennial Kingdom, Immanuel will govern over both the Jews and Gentiles.
Fourth, "Extraordinary Strategist" in Hebrew is פֶּ֠לֶא יֹועֵץ֙ (pele yoatz), meaning wonderful Counselor. Immanuel will be called Wonderful Counselor. The Hebrew word for “wonderful” is פֶּ֠לֶא (pele), meaning supernatural things done only by God. Immanuel will be a divine and supernatural Counselor. The Lord Jesus Christ did not take counsel from men, but He gave counsel to men. At His first coming, His counsel was rejected. At His second coming, His counsel will be desired, accepted, and followed.
Fifth, He would be called Mighty God. This is the Hebrew construct אֵ֣ל גִּבֹּ֔ור (el gibbor), which is only used of God. Immanuel would be the Mighty God Himself. He is the Creator of the universe who created and sustains all things. He keeps the stars and planets in rotation so that they do not collide. He controls the weather, the air, and the heartbeats of every creature in His creation. One cannot take another breath without His permission.
Sixth, He would be called Everlasting Father. How can this be? First, Immanuel would be part of the Triune Godhead, which includes God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Second, since God is One (even though He exists in three Persons), then Immanuel is God. Third, the title “Everlasting Father” is a figure of speech used to describe Immanuel’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other members of the Trinity. Fourth, He is said to be everlasting, just as God the Father is called “the Ancient of Days.” Fifth, Immanuel will become the father (or the founder) of the new Millennial Kingdom. Sixth, He will rule His one world government just as a father rules over his own children. Seventh, Immanuel will be the one who gives out eternal life to His citizens.
Seventh, Immanuel will be called the Prince of Peace. This is the only name which can be used of God or man. The United Nations will never bring peace to the world. No politicians will ever bring peace to the world. The Antichrist will promise peace, but he will bring destruction. Only God can bring global peace to the world. Immanuel will bring the peace of the Millennial Kingdom to Israel.
7 His dominion will be vast and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The Lord’s intense devotion to his people will accomplish this.
Eight, Immanuel is not only God and man, but He is also the Messiah of Israel. The Messiah is the anointed King from the line of David who will rule Israel during the Messianic Kingdom.
Ninth, His dominion as King will be over the entire world. Jews and Gentiles will worship Him. This is a fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Tenth, He will bring immeasurable prosperity to the entire world. During the Millennial Kingdom, He will restore the earth to its previous Garden of Eden conditions.
Eleventh, He will sit on David’s throne, meaning that He must be a descendant of David. He will fulfill the Davidic Covenant prophecy.
Twelfth, He will bring peace and justice to the earthly governments. He will rule with a “rod of iron.” There will be no more war. Nations will not spend their GNP (Gross National Product) upon weapons of mass destruction.
Thirteenth, His rule will be eternal. There is no Hebrew word for “eternity.” The Hebrew word is עוֹלָ֔ם (olam), meaning a very long time. According to Revelation 20, the Millennial Kingdom will last a literal 1,000 years. It will be followed by the eternal order. Immanuel will rule over the Millennial Kingdom on earth for 1,000 literal years.
Fourteenth, He will possess intense devotion to the Jewish people. He will keep His promises of the New Covenant found in Jeremiah 31.
9:8 The sovereign master decreed judgment on Jacob, and it fell on Israel.
Isaiah 9:8-10:4 begins the third chapter of Immanuel (7-12). Isaiah looked into the future and saw God decreeing judgment upon the Northern Kingdom.
9:9 All the people were aware of it, the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria. Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said,
Isaiah saw that the Northern Kingdom would recognize that they were being judged by God. Ephraim was the largest tribe in the Northern Kingdom. It was often used as a collective name for the entire Northern Kingdom. Samaria was the capital city of the Northern Kingdom. Isaiah saw that the Northern Kingdom possessed an arrogant attitude towards God.
9:10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with chiseled stone; the sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.”
Isaiah heard the boasting of the Northern Kingdom. They would boast that if their bricks were knocked down by the Assyrian Empire, then they would just rebuild their cities with more expensive stones. If their houses made of sycamore fig trees were knocked down by the Assyrians, then they would simply replace them with more expensive cedar trees. The cedar trees were imported from Tyre. The Northern Kingdom expected to rebuild their nation better than ever.
9:11 Then the Lord provoked their adversaries to attack them, he stirred up their enemies— 9:12 Syria from the east, and the Philistines from the west, they gobbled up Israelite territory. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again.
Isaiah saw Jehovah raising up the Syrians and the Philistines to harass the Northern Kingdom. These attacks would give the Northern kingdom one last chance to return to Jehovah.
9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them, they did not seek reconciliation with the Lord who commands armies.
The purpose of the judgments in verses 8-12 was to motivate the Northern Kingdom to turn to the Lord. However, the Northern Kingdom displayed a rebellious and arrogant attitude against this judgment. God struck Israel with a clinched fist, but they still did not respond. Therefore, they were to receive more severe judgment. Israel was like a child who stubbornly refused to obey her parents, so she had to be spanked more severely. Jehovah is the one who commands the armies of the world, so the Northern Kingdom was making a big mistake.
9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail, both the shoots and stalk in one day.
Isaiah saw Jehovah cutting off the head and feet of the Northern Kingdom in one day. The head was the leaders of Israel, such as the kings, nobles, and priests. The tail was their followers. The Jewish people were following their leaders into sin. The shoots were the wealthy. The stalks were the poor. Both economic classes would be effected by these judgments. Assyria cut off the head and tail of Israel in 722 B.C.
9:15 The leaders and the highly respected people are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
The heads were the political leaders. The tails were the false prophets. Instead of the prophets being the heads and telling the political leaders what they needed to hear, the prophets were being the tails and telling the people what the political leaders wanted the people to hear. They were both working together and teaching the Jewish people lies.
9:16 The leaders of this nation were misleading people, and the people being led were destroyed.
The elders and false prophets were guiding the Northern Kingdom into the worship of satanic idols. This idol worship would lead to the Assyrian invasion and the destruction of the Northern Kingdom.
9:17 So the sovereign master was not pleased with their young men, he took no pity on their orphans and widows; for the whole nation was godless and did wicked things, every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again.
The entire Northern Kingdom was godless. It had become a nation of Satan worshipers. The young men of military age did not respect their elders. The young men also did not take care of the widows and orphans. Widows and orphans we're given special care under the Mosaic Law, so this violation made Jehovah very angry.
9:18 For evil burned like a fire, it consumed thorns and briers; it burned up the thickets of the forest, and they went up in smoke.
The evil of Israel had become an internal forest fire which was out of control. This fire would consume the nation. First, this fire would burn the thorns and briers, who were the common people. Second, this fire would burn down the thickets of the forests, which were the elders, priests and leaders of the nation. They would all go up in smoke.
9:19 Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies, the land was scorched, and the people became fuel for the fire. People had no compassion on one another.
Jehovah is the Commander of the angelic army. Jehovah was so angry at the Northern Kingdom, that He allowed the evil of the people to scorch the land. The evil people made themselves the fuel for the fire. People had no compassion for each other, so they began burning each other with evil.
9:20 They devoured on the right, but were still hungry, they ate on the left, but were not satisfied. People even ate the flesh of their own arm!
The evil people began to devour each other by civil war. Then, famine set in the land and they began to devour themselves through cannibalism. They began to eat their own children.
9:21 Manasseh fought against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh; together they fought against Judah. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again.
Manasseh and Ephraim were descendants of Joseph’s two sons. They were close brothers. but even they were engaged in civil war against one another before the Assyrian Captivity.