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Overview 

Judgment and hope. These are some of the major themes of Isaiah. But there is something growing. The vision sees something beautiful, something glorious. Isaiah 4 reveals (for the first time in the book of Isaiah) the arrival of the Messiah. 

Isaiah 4:1

And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.”

This is the unfortunate reality of humans putting chapter titles in the sacred scriptures. The original manuscripts didn’t have these breaks. Clearly, this verse is connected to Isaiah 3. Things are so bleak in that future day of judgment, that most of the men have been wiped out. The ratio of women to men is 7 to 1. This is an utterly broken society. 

Isaiah 4:2-4

In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.

Here it is again. Hope. The “branch” of the Lord is coming. The branch is beautiful and glorious. Isaiah 11 will make it more clear that this “branch” is a shoot that proceeds from the stump of Jesse, from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10 already told us that “the scepter shall not depart from Judah”. This is exciting. There is still life in that forgotten stump. 

The vision goes on to speak about a remnant, a people God will call “holy”, a people He will wash clean. Then the fires of judgment will consume. In a sense, a new reality, a more righteous reality will emerge. 

But again, what time frame is the vision referring to? What people are the vision referring to? This is the difficulty of prophecy. It is slippery. 

Therefore, I would encourage you to not lose sight of the big picture. As the popular idiom states, “You can’t see the forest through the trees”. The forest is glorious. The Messiah is on the move. He will bring forgiveness. The filth will be gone. We will be called “holy”. 

Did you notice the phrase “everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem”? This is a foreshadowing of the legendary Lamb’s book of life. I hope your name is there. God knows His own. Are there mysteries attached to this book? For sure. But here is the truth—those who repent and believe in Jesus are in. Simple as that. 

Isaiah 4:5

Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy.

This is quite a verse. For those who are familiar with the Old Testament, I bet you are thinking about the Sinai wilderness. The cloud by day. The pillar of fire at night. God’s presence leading His people. 

But it is the word “canopy” that should grab your attention. A canopy? What in the world does that mean? 

Well, most scholars think this is a reference to God’s covering of His people, specifically, the use of the marriage motif. In the covenant of marriage, the husband to be a cover, be a canopy over His wife. There will be a day where God will again cover His people, His bride. The glory of God will so surround His people that they will be forever safe. 

Does this covering exist for God’s people today? To a degree, yes. But there is a future day, an era of righteousness, ultimately, we are promised that the new Heavens and the new earth will dawn. What a day that will be!