Isaiah 59:19 reads, “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him” (NKJV). This verse looks on to the time when Israel’s enemies will invade Palestine during the Tribulation Period, yet God will “lift up a standard against him” by sending His Son to defeat them and to save His people. As a result the whole world, from “west to east” will fear “the name of the Lord” and “His glory.”

Let’s look at verses 16-18 to see a description of this mighty Deliverer: “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.”   At this point in time Israel will be surrounded by her Gentile enemies without any hope of deliverance by any man. But what man cannot do, God will accomplish! He will become the Warrior they need and “fight for them.” We see this same scene in Zechariah 14:2-3, “For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem….Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.” The truth is, He alone can save them, and thus we read that “His own arm brought salvation.” This chapter began with these precious words, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save.” He will don the panoply of armor in order to save them. He will “put on righteousness as a breastplate,” for He will act in perfect righteousness, meting out to Israel’s enemies what they deserve. He will have on His head the “helmet of salvation,” for His main objective is to save His earthly people. And lastly we read that He will “put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,” for He will be avenging His people for all the atrocities that were performed against them by their enemies. 2nd Thessalonians 1:6-8 should be compared with this passage; it says, “It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on these who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let’s end our meditation by reading verses 20-21, “The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the LORD. As for Me, says the LORD, this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants, say the LORD, form this time and forevermore.” We have seen that the Lord will deliver Israel from their enemies, but here we see that He will bless all those who have repented of their sins. He will make a New Covenant with them (please read Romans 11:25-27 and Jeremiah 31:31-34), resulting in a new heart that loves His Word and from which they will NEVER depart ever again!  (215.3)  (DO)