A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 40-42
Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 16 January 2025 *
Introduction
This study treats Isaiah 40:1-42:9 as a cryptochiasmus in order to arrive at a coherent reconfiguration of the text ( see definition of cryptochiasmus in [1] ). If you wish to skip the technicalities of a chiastic parse, you may read starting from Section 4 of the Discussion section, which has the reconfigured text.
Isaiah 40:1-42:9, the first prophecy of the second section of Isaiah, is primarily regarding the start of the Millennial Reign, when God begins to rule over Israel and the rest of the world through Christ and his Messiah. The prophecy also predicts the First Coming of Christ and the work of John the Baptist. It has 2 passages that are quoted in the New Testament.
Discussion
1. Presuppositions
We base our parse of Isaiah 40:1-42:9 on the assumption that it refers to 3 periods:
- The Beginning of Christ's Ministry (26AD).
- Christian Judahites are Comforted after the First Jewish–Roman War (73AD).
- The Start of God's Millennial Reign through Christ and the Messiah (circa 2027AD).
2. Parsing the chiasmus
We will use the NIV Bible for this parse.
Parsing this chiasmus involves dividing portions of the text into three categories as above. We will call the time of Christ's First Coming Period 1, the End of the First Jewish-Roman War Period 2, and the Start of the Millennial Reign Period 3.
Categorizing Isaiah 40:1-42:9
Ch 40 vs 1-2 belong to Period 2. The surviving Judahites, the Christians, are comforted after the First Jewish-Roman War.Ch 40 vs 3 belong to Period 1. John the Baptist announces the coming of Jesus. We set the extent of the subunit based on quotes in Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3 and John 1:23. ( Luke 3:4-6 seems to indicate that the next two verses, 40:4-5, should also be included in this Period, but the LXX rendering quoted in Luke speaks of "salvation" in Luke 3:6 instead of the "glory" in Isaiah 40:5 - the LXX appears to borrow from Isaiah 52:10.)
Ch 40 vs 4 - Ch 42 vs 4 belong to Period 3. A victorious announcement of the start of the Millennial Reign. ( Although 42:1-4 is quoted in Matthew 12:15-21, so that the passage seems to belong to Period 1, we place it here in Period 3; see commentary below for justification.)
Ch 42 vs 5-8 belong to Period 1. Christ will proclaim the gospel of the New Covenant. He will lead people away from idolatry and false doctrines.
Ch 42 vs 9 belongs to Period 2. A new age begins under a New Covenant.
Original text
We color-code the chiastic units of the original text (NIV) below for easy visual identification using: red for Period 1, blue for Period 2 and green for Period 3.. We have retranslated parts of the text.
Isaiah 40 1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her warfare is ended, her iniquity has been pardoned. She [a] has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. Surely [b] the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. [c] 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall when [d] the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely humanity is [e] grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your god!” [f] 10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who can direct [g] the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? 14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he lifts up [h] the islands as though they were fine dust. 16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. 17 Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.
18 With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? 19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. 20 A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple.
21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Retranslation notes for Isaiah 40
[a] vs 2 "that her warfare is ended, her iniquity has been pardoned. She" instead of "that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she".
[b] vs 5 "Surely" instead of "For".
[c] vs 6 "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field" instead of "All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field".
[d] vs 7 "when" instead of ", because".
[e] vs 7 "humanity is" instead of "the people are".
[f] vs 9 "god" instead of "God", as in 1 Kings 18:25.
[g] vs 13 "direct" instead of "fathom".
[h] vs 15 "lifts up" instead of "weighs".
Isaiah 41 1 “Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred up the righteous one from the east, calling him to his service [a]? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow. 3 He pursues them, and marches over them with ease, hardly touching the path with his feet.[b] 4 Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.”
5 The islands have considered [c] it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward; 6 they help each other and say to their companions, “Be strong!” 7 The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, “It is good.” The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.
8 “You [d], Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, 9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13 Surely [e] I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. 14 Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. 16 You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. You [f] will rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. 19 I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, 20 so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21 “Present your case,” says the Lord. “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King. 22 Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell us of former prophecies, so that we may determine if they came true [g]. Or declare to us the things to come, 23 tell us the future, so we may know that you are gods. Do good or bad [h], so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear. 24 But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable.
25 “I have stirred up one from the north, and he has come; one from the east who proclaims my name. [i] He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay. 26 Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you. 27 Previously I said to Zion, [j] ‘Look, here they are!’ I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news. 28 I see that [k] there is no one— no one among the gods to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them. 29 See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.
Retranslation notes for Isaiah 41
[a] vs 2 "Who has stirred up the righteous one from the east, calling him to his service" instead of "Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service". Based on the KJV.
[b] vs 3 "and marches over them with ease, hardly touching the path with his feet" instead of "and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled before". Partly based on the Berean Standard Bible.
[c] vs 5 "considered" instead of "seen".
[d] vs 8 "You" instead of "But you". For the regular chiasmus.
[e] vs 13 "Surely" instead of "For".
[f] vs 16 "You" instead of "But you". For the regular chiasmus.
[g] vs 22 "Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell us of former prophecies, so that we may determine if they came true" instead of "Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome". Partly based on the NET Bible.
[h] vs 23 "tell us the future, so we may know that you are gods. Do good or bad" instead of "tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad". Mainly for chiastic balance.
[i] vs 25 "I have stirred up one from the north, and he has come; one from the east who proclaims my name" instead of "I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes— one from the rising sun who calls on my name".
[j] vs 27 "Previously I said to Zion" instead of "I was the first to tell Zion".
[k] vs 28 "I see that" instead of "I look but".
Isaiah 42 1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law [a] the islands will put their hope.”
5 This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
Retranslation notes for Isaiah 42
[a] vs 4 "law" instead of "teaching".
3. Building the reconfigured text
From this parse, it appears that Isaiah 40:1-42:9 forms a cryptochiasmus as below:A1 Ch 40 vs 1-2 Period 2. The Judahites are comforted after the First Jewish-Roman War
B1 Ch 40 vs 3 Period 1. John the Baptist announces the coming of Jesus
X Ch 40 vs 4 - Ch 42 vs 4 Period 3. The start of the Millennial Reign
B2 Ch 42 vs 5-8 Period 1. Christ preaches the gospel
A2 Ch 42 vs 9 Period 2. The Old Covenant is ended
We now reconstruct the passages in the right order based on the chiastic structure above and based on the ordering rules of a cryptochiasmus [1].
We lead with central pivot point 'X'. The corresponding subunits (For example; subunit A1 corresponds to A2) are placed contiguously to form units (for example, A1,A2 is a unit) so that we get a list of such units.
The sequence selected for rearrangement is:
X [A1,A2] [B1,B2] (1)
Translating (1) into verse numbers, we get:
Ch 40 vs 4 - Ch 42 vs 4 [Ch 40 vs 1-2, Ch 42 vs 9] [Ch 40 vs 3, Ch 42 vs 5-8] (2)
We arrive at the reconfigured passage in the next section by rearranging the verses so they are in sequence (2).
4. Isaiah 40:1-42:9 Reconfigured
The Start of God's Millennial Reign through Christ and the Messiah (circa 2027AD) (Ch 40 vs 4 - Ch 42 vs 4 )Chiasmus 1: The Millennial Reign will certainly begin as prophesied
Chiasmus 2: God is Great, and He will protect the righteous
Chiasmus 3: God is greater than other gods, and He will make Israel a mighty nation
Chiasmus 4: The Messiah will establish justice throughout the world during the Millennial Reign
Christian Judahites are Comforted After The First Jewish–Roman War (73AD) (Ch 40 vs 1-2, Ch 42 vs 9)
The Beginning of Christ's Ministry (26AD) (Ch 40 vs 3, Ch 42 vs 5-8)
5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text
5.1 The Start of God's Millennial Reign through Christ and the Messiah (circa 2027AD) (Ch 40 vs 4 - Ch 42 vs 4)
The passages of this Period are arranged as a series of 4 chiasmi.
Chiasmus 1: The Millennial Reign will certainly begin as prophesied
The passage below in 40:4-9 is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:
A1 40:4-5a The Millennial Reign begins
B1 40:5b God's promises will always come true
X 40:6-7a God will destroy the wicked
B2 40:7b-8 God's promises will always come true
A2 40:9 The Millennial Reign begins
Subunit A1: The Millennial Reign begins (40:4-5a)
Chapter 40 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
All obstacles to Christ's glorious reign over the world will be removed (the "path will be cleared" and a "smooth and level highway will be built" - cf. Isaiah 57:14).
Chapter 40 5a And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. ”
God's power and glory will be revealed to all mankind when He defeats Satan's forces and installs Christ and his Messiah as rulers of the world. ( Although the LXX rendering of 40:4-5a is quoted in Luke 3:5-6 as applicable to Period 1, we believe this Hebrew version of the passage belongs in this Period, because vs 5a speaks of "glory" whereas the LXX mentions "salvation", apparently borrowing from Isaiah 52:10.)
Subunit B1: God's promises will always come true (40:5b)
Chapter 40 5b Surely the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
God's Millennial Reign will indeed begin as He has promised ("His mouth has spoken") in Unit A (Subunits A1&A2) of this chiasmus. This Unit B serves to reassure the righteous in the tribulation period before Christ's Millennial Reign.
Pivot X: God will destroy the wicked (40:6-7a)
6a A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
6b “All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like the flowers of the field.
7a The grass withers and the flowers fall,
when the breath of the Lord blows on them.
This pivot is designed to comfort the righteous when they face great tribulation under powerful wicked men in the times before the Millennial Reign. These wicked Satan worshippers may seem powerful at the time, but they will be devastated in the way grass and flowers are destroyed in adverse weather at God's will ("when the breath of the Lord blows on them") (see also Isaiah 2:22, Job 14:2). This pivot is presented as a dialogue to draw attention to its message of comfort for the righteous (note that vs 6b-7a is the "voice's" reply to Isaiah's question, “What shall I cry?”).
Subunit B2: God's promises will always come true (40:7b-8)
This subunit continues from the corresponding Subunit B1 above
Chapter 40 7b Surely humanity is grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
The righteous can rest assured that the word of God will always come true - it will remain true even after all human life on earth comes to an end (see a similar idea in Matt. 24:35, see also 1 Peter 1:22-25). Note the difference in the meaning of the "grass and flowers" metaphor here - in this subunit it is regarding the final end of all life on earth, while in the pivot X above it is about the death of groups of humans at God's will.
Subunit A2: The Millennial Reign begins (40:9)
Chapter 40 9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your god!”
The publishers that are assigned the task ("You who bring good news") are to clearly broadcast ("go up on a high mountain", "lift up your voice with a shout", "do not be afraid") to all of Israel ("Zion", "Jerusalem" and "cities of Judah" synecdochically represent the New Israel - as in Isaiah 44:26) the good news of the coming Messiah's arrival as King of Israel ("Here is your god!") (cf. Isaiah 62:11). ( We believe that "god" here refers to the Messiah and not the Almighty God, because God does not physically come down to earth at this time. The Messiah, an angel of God, is called a "god" as in Psalms 82:6, Isaiah 9:6.)
Chiasmus 2: God is Great, and He will protect the righteous
The passage below in 40:10-31 is arranged in the form of a three-unit chiasmus:
A1 40:10-11 God nurtures the righteous
B1 40:12-14 God is greater than nature
C1 40:15-17 God is greater than the nations
X 40:18-22 God is greater than other gods
C2 40:23-25 God is greater than the nations
B2 40:26-28 God is greater than nature
A2 40:29-31 God nurtures the righteous
The greatness of God is established in various ways in this chiasmus to assure the people of Israel and the righteous in the rest of the world that they will be safe in the hands of a powerful and loving God during the Millennial Reign.
Subunit A1: God nurtures the righteous (40:10-11)
Chapter 40 10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
God will rule the world from the New Israel during the Millennial Reign through Christ and his Messiah (the Messiah, the implementer of God's will on earth, is his "mighty arm" - see also Isaiah 51:9). God will reward the faithful (see also Isaiah 62:11) and nurture them like a shepherd, paying particular attention to those in a vulnerable state ("those that have young") (see also Jer. 31:10, Eze. 34:11-16...).
Subunit B1: God is greater than nature (40:12-14)
Chapter 40 12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
This series of rhetorical questions grandly declares God's power over nature, because the implied answer to all these questions is, "No one but God" (note that God does not literally measure the elements as described in this poetic, anthropomorphic passage).
Chapter 40 13 Who can direct the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? 14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?
These rhetorical questions declare that God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, is all-knowing, because the implied answer to them is "No one" (the "Spirit of the Lord" in vs 13 refers to God Himself) (cf. Job 38:4,25,37, Romans 11:34).
Subunit C1: God is greater than the nations (40:15-17)
Chapter 40 15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he lifts up the islands as though they were fine dust. 16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. 17 Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.
The kingdoms of the world are no match for God. If God were represented by a bucket of water, the nations of the world would be as an insignificant drop in comparison. If God were placed on one end of a balance scale and the nations on the other, they would appear to weigh nothing - God's side of the scale would effortlessly "lift up" the side of the nations as though they were a few specs of fine dust. Not even the mightiest and wealthiest nations are significant when compared to the greatness of God (Lebanon is to be considered an exemplar of a wealthy nation of some importance, for it is blessed with abundant natural resources) (see also Psalms 2:1-6).
Pivot X: God is greater than other gods (40:18-22)
Chapter 40 18 With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? 19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. 20 A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple.
Isaiah compares the God of Israel to pagan gods - gods that are really Satan and his fallen angels. These gods control nations outside Israel and have some ability to answer human prayers, but they are no match for the God who created the universe (see Psalm 82). Isaiah roundly mocks the worship of man-made idols, which is the prescribed mode of supplication to these gods (see also Jeremiah 10:1-16).
Chapter 40 21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
In this pivot, Isaiah juxtaposes the greatness of God with the inadequacy of the other idol gods (as detailed in the previous passage, 40:18-20). He indicates that the greatness of God should be common knowledge with another series of rhetorical questions ("Do you not know?..."). He extols the greatness of the Creator and Sustainer of all things in 40:22. Note that vs 22 should be treated as poetic and figurative - it does not literally describe the structure and workings of the universe (cf. Psalms 104:1-9,147:4).
Subunit C2: God is greater than the nations (40:23-25)
Chapter 40 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
The kings of this world are of no consequence in relation to the incomparable power of God - even the greatest empires do not last very long - and they live and die according to God's will (cf. Job 12:19, Isaiah 14:9). The people of Israel have no reason to fear other nations, for their mighty God will save them from the overwhelming forces arrayed against them (Psalm 129:5-6).
Subunit B2: God is greater than nature (40:26-28)
Chapter 40 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
The whole universe and the stars in it are created and maintained by God (note that Isaiah uses poetic, figurative language in vs 26) (see also Psalm 147:4). The Israelites need not worry that their God has forgotten them in the time of their tribulation before the start of Christ's reign. For the creator of all things is omniscient and omnipotent; He has not abandoned His people, and He does not grow tired. ( Verse 27 indicates that this chiasmus is primarily addressed to Israel.)
Subunit A2: The Lord nurtures the righteous (40:29-31)
Chapter 40 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
God will give strength to His weary people so that they have the spirit and energy to soar like eagles (cf. Psalm 103:5), and thrive in their new role as world leaders during the Millennial Reign. Though man's strength is fleeting, God will give His people lasting physical, mental and spiritual energy.
Chiasmus 3: God is greater than other gods, and He will make Israel a mighty nation
The passage below in 41:1-29 is arranged in the form of a five-unit chiasmus:
A1 41:1 The trial: Introduction
B1 41:2-4 The trial: God presents the Messiah as evidence of His greatness
C1 41:5-7 The trial: A summons to present the case of other gods
D1 41:8-10 God's nation Israel is restored
E1 41:11-12 Those who come against Israel are destroyed
X 41:13-16a Israel will rule the world for God
E2 41:16b-17 Those who come seeking righteousness are blessed
D2 41:18-20 God's nation Israel is restored
C2 41:21-24 The trial: A summons to present the case of other gods
B2 41:25-27 The trial: God presents the Messiah as evidence of His greatness
A2 41:28-29 The trial: Conclusion
Israel is restored, and the people of Israel are assured that they are safe in the hands of a powerful and loving God.
Subunit A1: The trial: Introduction (41:1)
Chapter 41 1 “Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.
After their defeat at the start of the Millennial Reign (see Ezekiel 39), the hostile nations of the world ("islands") are to be deferential before God ("be silent"), and they are to try and recover from their defeat ("renew their strength", which is mildly sarcastic). For they must present a case for their gods in a trial ("place of judgment") to determine which god is greater. This subunit introduces the trial that is detailed in Units A through C of this chiasmus.
Subunit B1: The trial: God presents the Messiah as evidence of His greatness (41:2-4)
Chapter 41 2 “Who has stirred up the righteous one from the east, calling him to his service? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow. 3 He pursues them, and marches over them with ease, hardly touching the path with his feet.
God presents, as proof of His power, the victorious Messiah of the Millennial Reign who fulfilled Biblical prophecy. It was God who roused the Messiah - the "righteous one" (see Rev. 19:11) - from an eastern nation (the "one from the east" - see Matthew 24:27), and enabled him to subdue the wicked peoples of the earth ("hands nations over to him"); the Messiah effortlessly and utterly defeated and destroyed these hostile peoples ("turns them to dust/chaff", "marches over them" so that his feet do not touch the ground).
Chapter 41 4 Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.”
The coming Messiah is of the line of David, as predicted in several prophecies (for ex, see 2 Samuel 7), and to ensure that this prediction came true, God called into existence the generations from David to the Messiah and preserved them over thousands of years ("with them from the first to the last").
As proof of His greatness, God states that it was He, the great "I am", that had predicted all this and carried it out.
Subunit C1: The trial: A summons to present the case of other gods (41:5-7)
Chapter 41 5 The islands have considered it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward; 6 they help each other and say to their companions, “Be strong!”
The idol-worshippers who have been invited to debate God (see 41:1,21) are fearful, because they have considered God's arguments and they have no convincing rebuttal; they will apparently be punished if they lose, and so they try to encourage each other to present a strong case ("Be strong"). Before the Millennial Reign, many peoples around the world ("islands") had turned to other gods for the protections and privileges they offer, particularly during the tribulation of the Reign of the Beast (see Rev 13:12-15) - the Reign of the Beast was a time of battle for men's souls.
Chapter 41 7 The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, “It is good.” The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.
These idol-worshippers come together to seek their gods' protection from the Lord's judgement and wrath. Idol-worship is the prescribed mode of supplication to fallen angels (gods), and Isaiah ridicules their efforts here (as in 40:18-20).
Subunit D1: God's nation Israel is restored (41:8-10)
Chapter 41 8 “You, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, 9a I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you.
The people of Israel (the nation of Israel/Jacob is God's servant in this passage), the favoured descendants of Abraham, will gather into the New Israel from the nations around the world to which they had been scattered (see also Isaiah 14:1-2, 49:22, etc.).
Chapter 41 9b I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Although God had punished the Israelites for millennia, He has not abandoned them forever. God will once again protect Israel and uphold the nation through his Messiah ("my righteous right hand" - cf. Isaiah 51:9).
Subunit E1: Those who come against Israel are destroyed (41:11-12)
Chapter 41 11 “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.
All who come against the New Israel will be defeated and destroyed by God ("you will not find them", "will be as nothing at all") (see also Isaiah 54:14,15).
Pivot X: Israel will rule the world for God (41:13-16a)
Chapter 41 13 Surely I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. 14 Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. 16a You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away.
Israel will be a global hegemon for God during the Millennial Reign. Israel was downtrodden and weak ("little", "worm") until this time, but it need not fear now, for, with God's support, it will become a mighty nation ("threshing sledge") that subdues and reigns over all nations ( Israel will reduce these nations' power "to chaff", "winnow it" and "blow it away" - cf. Isaiah 29:5), both the mighty and weak ("mountains", "hills") (see also Micah 5:7, Isaiah 2:2-4, ...).
Subunit E2: Those who come seeking righteousness are blessed (41:16b-17)
Chapter 41 16b You will rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
The Israelites will once again return to their God and they will become a nation of priests ("rejoice in the Lord...") (see Exodus 19:6). The people of other nations who are spiritually meek ("poor and needy", "thirsty"), those who earnestly seek righteousness ("water") (cf. John 4:14), will come to Israel for wisdom from God, and they will receive it (see also Micah 4:2). ( By contrast, in the corresponding subunit E1, those who come against Israel will be destroyed.)
Subunit D2: God's nation Israel is restored (41:18-20)
Chapter 41 18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. 19 I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, 20 so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
The Israelites had been an impoverished nation as punishment for the waywardness of their forefathers (see Deut. 28:15-48); this passage poetically indicates that God will replace their destitution with abundance (the "desert" will be turned into a forest with a variety of economically useful "trees") (cf. Isaiah 35:1-2). It will be clear to all, to the Israelites and the rest of the world, that this miraculous transformation, this sudden prosperity, is the work of God ("the hand of the Lord has done this"). ( Note that though this subunit and the previous one have metaphors involving "water", their meanings are different. In the previous subunit E2 the "water" is for "human consumption" and represents spiritual wisdom from God, while in this subunit the "water" is for "irrigating the land" and represents a source of economic strength.)
Subunit C2: The trial: A summons to present the case of other gods (41:21-24)
This subunit continues from the corresponding Subunit C1 above.
Chapter 41 21 “Present your case,” says the Lord. “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King. 22a “Let them come and tell us what will happen.
God challenges the idol-worshippers to prove their gods' ("them") greatness by asking them to predict the future.
Chapter 41 22b Tell us of former prophecies, so that we may determine if they came true. Or declare to us the things to come, 23a tell us the future, so we may know that you are gods.
Addressing the gods (fallen angels) themselves, God restates His challenge. He asks if they can point to former prophecies they made that proved correct, or if they can predict future events, for accurate foreknowledge is a proof of divinity.
Chapter 41 23b Do good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.
When the gods fail the previous challenge, God asks if they can do anything at all, good or bad, that proves their divinity.
Chapter 41 24 But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable.
With the gods unable to demonstrate their power, God scorns them as worthless and their foolish worshippers as detestable.
Subunit B2: The trial: The Lord proves His greatness through His Messiah (41:25-27)
Chapter 41 25 “I have stirred up one from the north, and he has come; one from the east who proclaims my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay. 26 Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you.
After presenting His case in the corresponding subunit B1 above, God makes His closing argument. Through several prophecies, God had foretold the coming of a world-conquering Messiah (Daniel 8 even predicts the year of his birth - see [3]), who will be from the east (see also Matt. 24:27, Isaiah 41:2), and will proclaim God and Christ. While the Messiah is from the east, he will also be, in some sense, "stirred up from the north" (it may be that the Messiah, like Christ, will be called back from Egypt, and the "Egypt" of this Period, the Western Empire, is in the north - Matt. 2:15). Although the sacred writings of several other religions predict a coming messiah (for ex. the Mahdi of Islam or the Kalki Avatar of Hinduism), most of these other prophecies proved to be quite misleading. No other gods or their religious books had predicted the Messiah's coming with anything like the detail and accuracy of the Bible.
Chapter 41 27 Previously I said to Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’ I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.
This verse is designed to contrast with the silence from the gods in vs 26 and 28. Before the start of the Millennial Reign, God had revealed the true meaning of His prophecies (‘Look, here they are!’) to the New Israel ("Zion", "Jerusalem") through His Messiah, particularly those prophecies pertaining to this Period. The Messiah, as the interpreter of prophecies (John 14:26, Daniel 9:24 in [2]), is the messenger of the good news of the Millennial Reign (see also Isaiah 52:7). ( Note that we have interpreted this difficult verse as a parallelism.)
Subunit A2: The trial: Conclusion (41:28-29)
Chapter 41 28 I see that there is no one— no one among the gods to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them. 29 See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.
The idol gods have no reply to this challenge from the Lord. God's verdict is that all the other gods are false and of no consequence, that they have no powers comparable to those of God.
Chiasmus 4: The Messiah will establish justice throughout the world during the Millennial Reign
The passage below in 42:1-4 is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:
A1 42:1 Christ will establish a just world through the Messiah
X 42:2-3a Christ was humble and tender at his First Coming
A2 42:3b-4 Christ will establish a just world through the Messiah
Subunit A1: Christ will establish a just world through the Messiah (42:1)
Chapter 42 1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
The coming Messiah, the servant in this passage (see also Isaiah 52:13) (both Israel and the Messiah are called "servant" in this Period - see also 41:8,9), will have divine assistance from God, Christ and a host of angels (the angels are "my Spirit" - cf. Isaiah 11:2) in his mission to rule the world with justice and righteousness (see Isaiah 11:1-9, 9:6-7...).
Pivot X: Christ was humble and tender at his First Coming (42:2-3a)
Chapter 42 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3a A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
Christ was not a reigning king at his First Coming, so he did not make loud public proclamations ("shout/cry out or raise his voice"), as kings do through their town criers. He was also tender and non-violent in Period 1 - he would not hurt a fly ("he will not even break a bruised reed" or "snuff out even a dying flame"). During the Millennial Reign, however, he will rule the earth through his Messiah with a "rod of iron" (Psalm 2:9) and perform the police actions that are required to maintain justice in a sometimes rebellious world.
Christ's ministry in Period 1 is mentioned here in Period 3 to contrast his meekness in his role as a shepherd in Period 1 to his role as king of the world, through his Messiah, in this Period 3. Although Matthew 12:16-21 paraphrases this entire chiasmus to accentuate this contrast, only the pivot applies to Christ in Period 1 (see context in Matt. 12:14-16). ( The work of Christ in Period 1 sometimes appears in chiasmi regarding the Messiah in Period 3 - see parse of Isaiah 52-53 [4], Matthew 24 [6], Luke 17 [7].)
Subunit A2: Christ will establish a just world through the Messiah (42:3b-4)
Chapter 42 3b In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”
The coming Messiah will faithfully and righteously enforce the just reign of Christ (Rev 19:11); he will not be discouraged despite early opposition and tribulation (Isaiah 53:11). Nations around the world ("islands") will depend on the Messiah to maintain peace and justice on earth (see also Isaiah 11:3,4).
5.2 Christian Judahites are Comforted After The First Jewish–Roman War (73AD) (Ch 40 vs 1-2, Ch 42 vs 9)
This Period is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:A1 40:1-2a The righteous Christian Judahites are comforted
X 40:2b The wicked Judahites have been severely punished
A2 42:9 The righteous Christian Judahites are comforted
The passages of this Period are spoken by God after the war and addressed to the Christian Judahites.
Subunit A1: The righteous Christian Judahites are comforted (40:1-2a)
Chapter 40 1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2a Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her warfare is ended, her iniquity has been pardoned.
The Christian Judahites are comforted after the brutal First Jewish-Roman War. The majority of their fellow Judahites, those that did not follow Christ, had been killed or captured, their temple destroyed and their land devastated. But now God will reinstate His divine protection over the Christian Judahites, as their time of punishment has been completed. (See our parse of the "70 Weeks of Daniel" for details on this Period [2].)
Pivot X: The wicked Judahites have been severely punished (40:2b)
Chapter 40 2b She has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
The wicked among the Judahites had been severely punished for their sins ("double" - cf. Rev. 18:6). In particular, they were punished for the sin of rejecting Christ and the New Covenant (see Matt. 23:33-38).
Subunit A2: The righteous Christian Judahites are comforted (42:9)
Chapter 42 9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
With the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, the Old Covenant is ended ("former things have taken place"), and only the New Covenant from Christ is in force. At the time of this war, the details of the New Covenant were still being transmitted through the prophets - the New Testament books were still being written. The New Covenant is for all mankind, but the Judahites had the privilege of being the first to hear of it, and they were the only people to transition from the Old Covenant to the New without a break (see also Romans 1:16).
5.3 The Beginning of Christ's Ministry (26AD) (Ch 40 vs 3, Ch 42 vs 5-8)
This Period is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:A1 40:3 Christ comes to reform a wicked Judea
X 42:5-7 Christ brings a New Covenant from God
A2 42:8 Christ comes to reform a wicked Judea
Subunit A1: Christ comes to reform a wicked Judea (40:3)
Chapter 40 3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
John the Baptist announced the coming of Christ and exhorted the Judahites to turn from their wicked ways and heed Christ's message ("prepare the way", "make straight in the desert a highway") (see Luke 3:7-17). Judea is called a "wilderness/desert" here, because the "wilderness" represents the domain of the wicked (cf. Rev 17:3) - the Judahites had been led astray into false doctrines and idolatry by their leaders. ( This verse is quoted as referring to John the Baptist in several New Testament passages - Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23.)
Pivot X: Christ brings a New Covenant from God (42:5-7)
This pivot is spoken by God and addressed to Christ.
Chapter 42 5 This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:
The grand enumeration of God's attributes at the start of the proclamation of this pivot enhances its solemnity and significance (cf. Zech. 12:1, Amos 5:8). It indicates that the great God, creator of the heaven and earth and everything in it, has the power to sustain Christ through his difficult mission of changing the world.
Chapter 42 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
God makes a promise to Christ, at the outset of his mission, that He will guide and protect him ("hold your hand", "keep you"), and that through Christ's ministry and death, God will establish a New Covenant for the whole world - both for the Judahites ("the people") and the rest of the world ("gentiles") (Hebrews 8:6, Romans 1:16).
Chapter 42 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
These three metaphors essentially have the same meaning. Jesus will enlighten ("open the eyes of", "free", "release") those who are ignorant, those who believe in false doctrines and engage in idol-worship ("blind", "in prison", "in darkness") (see also Isaiah 61:1). Christ will teach the true nature of the One True God, how He is to be worshipped, and how He wants us to think and act (see also John 14:6, Luke 2:32, Acts 26:18).
Subunit A2: Christ comes to reform a wicked Judea (42:8)
Chapter 42 8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
God sent Christ to preach the gospel of the New Covenant and to turn the people of Judea away from idol worship and false doctrines (cf. Matt 23:15, Zeph. 1:5-6).
Conclusion
With this chiastic reconstruction of the text, we have shown that Isaiah 40:1-42:9 contains prophecies on three distinct Periods. This prophecy is designed to comfort the Israelites in the time of tribulation before the Millennial Reign, with its promise that the great God of Israel will prevail. It also predicts a New Covenant through Christ at his First Coming that will pave the way to his Millennial Reign.
References
[1] A Definition of Cryptochiasmus[2] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The 70 Weeks Of Daniel"
[3] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 8
[4] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 52-53
[5] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Zechariah 12-14
[6] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The Olivet Discourse" in Matthew 24
[7] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The Condensed Olivet Discourse" in Luke 17:22-37
* First version published on 21 January 2022.