Isaiah 63:1 says, “Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?—‘I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save’” (NKJV). The prophet begins with a simple question, “Who is this?” Can there be any doubt that this is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who is coming to save His people Israel from their enemies when they are being threatened with virtual destruction? The last time the people of Israel saw Him He presented Himself to them in Jerusalem as their Messiah in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Yet He was rejected by the nation and Jesus told them, “See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” Isaiah is speaking of that blessed day when He comes to rescue His people as their triumphant Messiah. They will see Him “traveling in the greatness of His strength,” and as the One who speaks “in righteousness, mighty to save.” Instead of rejecting Him as their Messiah, they will welcome Him into Jerusalem with open arms, as we see in Psalm 24:7-8, “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.”

We also saw that He came “from Edom” and “from Bozrah” with “dyed garments.” What are we to learn from that? Before we comment on this let’s read verses 2-6: “Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? ‘I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was no one to uphold; therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; and by My own fury, it sustained Me. I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, made them drunk in My fury, and brought down their strength to the earth.”

This is a graphic picture that describes the Lord Jesus as a mighty “warrior King” who conquers all of His enemies. We know from Acts 17:31 that God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.” In verse 4 of our passage the Lord states, “For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come.” This DAY, that God appointed long ago, has finally come! The Lord will trample down His foes in His anger and their blood will cover His garments. The apostle John describes a similar scene in Revelation 19:11-21 where the Lord Jesus comes on a “white horse” and “in righteousness He judges and makes war (verse 11). He goes on to say that “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood” (verse 13) and that “He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (verse 15). The Lord will actually call the birds of heaven to “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people” (verses 17-18). What a solemn scene of indescribable carnage! John was witnessing the infamous “battle of Armageddon.” But after Israel’s enemies are destroyed there, the Lord will proceed to Edom and Bozrah to destroy in like manner the ancient foes of Israel. You can read about this in more detail in Isaiah 34:5-8. The destruction of Israel’s enemies is followed by the Lord’s triumphant march into Jerusalem where His people will gladly say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” They will rejoice in His victory in this “day of vengeance,” and praise Him that “the year of My redeemed has come.” (270.9) (DO)