Isaiah 62:11, commentary and pictures

The Lord proclaims to the ends of the earth that Zion's deliverance is coming, and that He brings His recompense and saving work with Him. The announcement goes with opening the way, clearing hindrances and lifting a banner for all peoples, so that they become a holy and redeemed people and Zion is no longer forsaken. It points to Christ, through whom pardon, life and eternal hope are given, and to His soon return in power and glory to gather His ransomed home. His reward is then given to each according to his works and the motives behind them, for every deed, influence and secret is weighed with perfect justice and mercy. Therefore God's people are to carry the message unceasingly, as watchmen who give no rest until righteousness shines out, and to live ready, repentant and hopeful to meet Him in peace.

Proclamation and Its Setting

The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world that the daughter of Zion is to be told her salvation comes. That proclamation declares salvation to Zion and to the whole world, that salvation is coming from the Lord. In the great closing work this worldwide announcement will be fulfilled despite many perplexities, because the powers of heaven are working and a divine hand is on the wheel to bring His purposes to pass and gather out a people who will serve Him in righteousness. His reward being with Him and His work before Him means He comes bringing His reward and His saving work with Him. That coming brings recompense, with reward and work accompanying Him.

The proclamation belongs together with going through the gates, preparing the way of the people, casting up the highway, gathering out the stones, removing obstacles, and lifting up a standard for the people. It is a worldwide proclamation to Zion that deliverance arrives with its reward and its work, joined to that way-preparing and standard-lifting. The command to lift up a standard for the people and tell the daughter of Zion that her salvation comes means public proclamation of coming salvation.

Its outcome is that the people shall be called The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord, Sought out, and Zion shall be called a city not forsaken. After the way is prepared and the standard lifted, they are called holy, redeemed, sought out, and not forsaken. The following verse identifies them as the Lord's redeemed, a holy people, and Zion as sought out and no longer forsaken. Its wording is the same as Christ's promise to come quickly with His reward to give every man according as his work shall be.

The prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem and the multitude acclaimed Him. The people then witnessed the promised coming of salvation in Jesus, though they did not recognize that their actions fulfilled it.

Christ's Coming and Reward

The verse testifies of Christ and points to His mission as the one through whom salvation comes to the whole world. Through Him free forgiveness is provided, and His saving work brings life and eternal life and hope to Zion and to the redeemed people of God.

It means Christ is soon coming in power and great glory to take His ransomed ones to their eternal home, bringing His reward with Him. When He appears it will be glorious to see Him as the King in His beauty, to be welcomed as His redeemed ones and to be forever blessed as the holy people. This will be fulfilled in the great closing work despite many perplexities, because the powers of heaven are working and a divine hand is on the wheel to bring God's purposes to pass. In that fulfillment God's name shall be exalted among the nations as He gathers out from the world a people who will serve Him in righteousness, the experience of those who hold fast the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. That work joins the worldwide proclamation to Zion that deliverance arrives with its reward and its work to going through the gates, preparing the way of the people, removing obstacles, and lifting up a standard, so that they shall be called holy, redeemed, sought out, and not forsaken.

His reward being with Him and His work before Him means He will give to every man according as his work shall be. God knows and reads every action and the motive that impelled it, and the reward will be according to the motives that prompted the action. Every good act and every wrong act, and its influence upon others, is traced out by the Searcher of hearts, to whom every secret is revealed. What He looks for is justice, mercy, and benevolence to one's neighbor and faithfulness to God rather than robbing Him.

Church's Work and Response

The whole chapter portrays the work Christ will accomplish through those who follow His example, and it becomes the lived experience of those who hold fast the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. It is a worldwide proclamation to Zion that deliverance is arriving with its reward and its work, joined to going through the gates, preparing the way of the people, removing obstacles, casting up the highway, gathering out the stones, and lifting up a standard for the people. Those who share in that work shall be called holy, redeemed, sought out, and not forsaken. Its wording is the same as Christ's promise to come quickly with His reward to give every man according as his work shall be.

That proclamation lays unceasing activity upon God's people to carry the announcement everywhere. While darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people, and many wander far from Christ in the wilderness of sin as strangers from the covenant of promise, they are to wake up and shake off careless indifference, commune with God to be imbued with His Spirit, and go forth to bestow received grace on those in need, first in their families and then beyond to others. They are to go through the gates, prepare the way of the people, cast up the highway, gather out the stones, and lift up a standard. They are to act as watchmen on the walls who never hold peace day nor night and give God no rest till He establishes Jerusalem as a praise in the earth, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a burning lamp before Gentiles and kings, and her people are called holy, redeemed, sought out, a city not forsaken.

The public proclamation of coming salvation commanded here is the work assigned to the publishing work. The chapter speaks decisively to God's people, calling them to accept its words and reproof, stop complaining and doing evil, put away evil and repent. When they do, the Lord will manifest His power and appear in the conviction and conversion of souls.

The announcement that salvation comes and that the Lord brings His reward and work with Him gives reason to praise the Lord and to speak to the world with faith, hope, courage, and assurance. It means Christ is soon coming in power and great glory to take His ransomed ones to their eternal home, bringing His reward with Him. His people must be prepared to meet Him in peace, ready and waiting with cheerful and undimmed hope after long waiting, keeping Jesus ever before them. When He appears it will be glorious to see Him and to see the King in His beauty, to be welcomed as His redeemed ones and to be forever blessed as the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord.