The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 305

lasting kindneu (compare above, eh. xxvi. 20 all bedecked with precious stones, e.s she and Pa. xxx. 5, "His anger endureth but a we.s seen by the exile of Patmos more than moment; in his favour is life:• weeping may seven centnries later (Rev. xxi. 16-21). endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning"). After briefly describing the heavenly city, Ver. 9.-Thia is as the waters of Noah he passes to her inhabitants, and promises unto me. The existing calamity-Israel them peace, protection, and righteousness. submerged in the flood of Babylonian cap- Ver. 11.-0 thou afflicted (comp. eh. xlix. tivity--is as it were a repetition of the H-17). Jerusalem is seen e.s she was calamity of the Deluge in God's eyes. Its during the Captivity-" afflicted" by God's object is to purify his Church, as the object hand, vexed with all his storms, and not yet of the Flood was to purify the world. A oomforted (comp. eh. )xiv. 10, 11). Then a righteous household survived in the one fresh vision obliterates the mournful sight. case; a righteous remnant would go forth I will lay thy stones with fair oolours ; in the other. And as God bound himself literally, I u,fll lay thy BUmeB in antimony ; in Noah's time not to repeat the calamity i.e. I will give them a. setting a.nd adornment of the Deluge, so now he binds himself not like that which beautiful women were in again to submerge his Church in a cap\ivity the habit of giving to their eyes when they like the Baby Ionian. It has been said that wished to attract admiration (see 2 Kings the promise was not kept, since the Jewish ix. 30). Puk, or antimony, was used to Church was, in A.D. 70, carried captive by stain both the upper and the under eyelid, the Romans. But the prophet views the in order to increase the apparent lustre of Jewish Church as continued in the Christian, the eye, and so impart to it greater beauty. into which all it.a better and more spiritunl The passage is not to be understood as im- members passed at the first preaching of the plying that coloured m1Lrbles were ever really gospel; and the promise here made is thus set in antimony. And lay thy foundations parallel to that of our Lord, " Upon this rock with sapphires ; or, make thy foundations of I will build my Church; and the gates of sapphires. In Revelation the first foundlL- hell shall not prevail aga.inet it'' (Matt. xvi. tiou is "jasper,'' the second "sapphire" 18). Much as the Christian Ohurcb bes (Rev. xxi. 19). Sapphire was the founda- suffered from the world, it has never been tion on which the throne of God appeared in like cases with the Jewish Church in to be set, when it was seen by Moses, Aaron, Babylon, and, as God is faithful, never will and the seventy elders (Exod. x.xiv. 10). be reduced to such extremity. As I have The throne it!elf had the appe1Lrance of swom; i.e. "pledged myself." It does not S1Lpphire, as seen by Ezekiel (i. 26; x. 1). appear from Gen. viii. 20-22 or ix. 8-17 Sapphire is the hue of heaven. that God aotually bound himself by oath. Ver. 12.-1 will make thy windows of So have I swom that I would not be wroth a.gates. Most modems transh\te, "I will with thee, nor rebuke thee. That is to say, make thy battlements," or "thy pinnacles not to the same extent, not so as to visit her of rubies." The exact meaning is very with the same punishment. doubtful. Thy gates of oarbunoles. In the Ver.10.-The mountains sha.ll depart . . . Revelation of St. John the gates nre each of but my kindness shall not depart (comp. them composed of one pearl (Rev. xxi. 21)- Me.tt. xxiv. 35, '' Heaven and earth she.II the pearl betokening purity, the carbuncle pass away, but my words shall not pass the glow of devotional feeling. We mnst away"). Everything material may foil, not expect consistency in descriptions which. depart, perish; hut God's promises remain nre entirely allegorical. All thy borders of firm and secure for ever. The covenant of pleasant stones; or, all thy boundaries. An my peaoe; or, my covenant of peace-any enclosing wall seems to be meant (comp. promise wbich God makes to his creatures Rev. xxi. 17). for their advantage (comp. Numb. xxv. 12; Ver.13.-All thy ohildren shnll be taught Ezek. xxxiv. 25; xxxvii. 26; Mai. ii. 5). of the Lord (comp. eh. xliv. 3; Jer. xxxi. :l3, Here there is a special allusion to the 3!; Ezek. xi. 19; Joel ii. 28; Acts ii. 17, promise just made and confirmed by oath 18, etc.). Christians a.re all of them "taught (ver. 9). of God'' (John vi. 45; 1 Thess. iv. 9). 'fhe Vers. 11-17.-THE GLORY OF THE NEw "anointing," which they havA from the JEBUSALE&I, AND THE HAl'PJNl!:SS OF ITS Holy Ghost," teaches them, nnd is truth, nud INHABITANTS. Hitherto Israel has been is no lie" (1 John ii. 27), anti causes them addressed; now the direct object of address to" know nll things" (I John ii. 20). And great shall be the peace of thy children. is Jerusalem. The eye of the prophet Messi11h was to be " the Prince of Pe110e " passes, however, with a glance, from tho (eh. ix. 6). His birth heralded the coming actual present to the far-distant future, and of "peace on earth" (Luke ii. 14). So far 1ees the Zion of God in her heavenly setting, forth us men a.re kue Cliristilllls, does peac,, 3HI Tll~ BOOK OF TllE PROPHET ISAIAH. [oa. LIV, 1-17.