For Zion’s sake will I not hold My peace,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her righteousness go forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a lamp that burneth.And the nations shall see thy righteousness,
and all kings thy glory;
and thou shalt be called by a new name,
which the mouth of the Lord shall name.Thou shalt also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken;
neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate:
but thou shalt be called Hephzibah,
and thy land Beulah;
for the Lord delighteth in thee,
and thy land shall be married.For as a young man marrieth a virgin,
so shall thy sons marry thee;
and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride,
so shall thy God rejoice over thee.I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem;
they shall never hold their peace day nor night:
ye that are the Lord’s remembrancers,
take ye no rest,
and give Him no rest,
till He establish,
and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.The Lord hath sworn by His right hand,
and by the arm of His strength,
Surely I will no more give thy grain to be food for thine enemies;
and strangers shall not drink thy new wine,
for which thou hast labored:
but they that have garnered it shall eat it,
and praise the Lord;
and they that have gathered it shall drink it
in the courts of My holiness.
This is a very wonderful passage. It tells us what God will do for His people, and what He expects His people to do.
Here you find the prophet Isaiah. Of course, he foresaw the captivity of Zion, and he also foresaw the return of that captivity. But, as a prophet, he saw even further than that. He saw the days of the Messiah. When the Messiah should come, everything should be restored—or recovered—to the full purpose of God.
So what concerns the prophet is not just the immediate—that is, the return of the captivity of Zion under the Jewish remnant. What really concerns the prophet is the ultimate: what will happen when the Messiah comes, and what will happen to Zion and Jerusalem.
Now, of course, the people of Israel were God’s earthly people. Today, we who are the Lord’s—the redeemed of the Lord—are God’s heavenly people. God was interested, at one time, with His earthly people; and God is now interested with us, His heavenly people.
So this morning, we are not going through the history or the prophecy that concerns the nation of Israel, which will be fully fulfilled. But we are interested and concerned this morning with what God determines to do for His people today, and what He expects us, His people, to do in His work.
Zion and Jerusalem are very dear to God’s heart. Of course, Zion and Jerusalem in Scripture spiritually apply to the church today. I do not think we need to be too specific.
If you want to be very specific in typology or representation, you would say that Jerusalem represents the church of God, and Zion represents the overcomers of the church. You find that throughout the Bible: Jerusalem represents all the people of God, and Zion represents the overcomers of God’s people.
But I do not think we need to be that specific this morning, so we will just put them together: Zion and Jerusalem as one.
Now, you know that God is very jealous over Zion. He is very zealous for Jerusalem. This is His controversy with the nations. It seems as if, in God’s heart, there is a softness, a tenderness, towards Zion and Jerusalem.
Why? Why, of all the cities and all the mountains, should God have such zeal and such jealousy over Zion and Jerusalem?
The only reason is this: God has chosen Zion.
This is My resting-place for ever:
Here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
In other words, out of all the mountains and all the cities on this earth, God has chosen Zion and Jerusalem to be His dwelling place. Not because Zion is higher than every other mountain, nor because Jerusalem is a greater city than any other city. Not at all.
It simply pleased God. It is the good pleasure of God that He should choose Zion and Jerusalem. Because He has chosen Zion and Jerusalem, therefore He is jealous and zealous over that city and over that mountain. That is the only reason.
It is not because the children of Israel are better than any other people. As a matter of fact, we find that the children of Israel were very difficult people. They gave God lots of headaches and heartaches.
Yet God said, “I have chosen Zion. This is My will, My good pleasure. I have chosen it; and because I have chosen it, for Jerusalem’s sake and for Zion’s sake, I will not be quiet.”
For Zion’s sake will I not hold My peace,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest.
God will not hold His peace until Zion is at peace. God will not rest until Jerusalem is in stillness.
In other words, it does not depend upon the situation and the condition of Zion and Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, Jerusalem, the city of peace, did not know peace. Jerusalem would be destroyed. Jerusalem would be taken into captivity. The people would be scattered, and the city would be in ruin.
Zion, the place where David dwelt, where the royal sceptre ruled, would be scattered. There would be no sign of the royal sceptre among Zion. There would be no peace in Jerusalem. So far as the people were concerned, it was totally forsaken and desolate.
Is there hope for Zion? Is there any hope for Jerusalem? Is there any hope for these people? Thank God, there is.
Why? Because God said, “For Zion’s sake, I will not hold My peace. For Jerusalem’s sake, I will not rest.” Because I have chosen Zion, because I have a purpose for Jerusalem, and until that purpose is fully realized, I will not hold My peace. I will not rest.
I will not rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth.
This is the purpose of God concerning Zion and Jerusalem. Now, brothers and sisters, oftentimes we are confused by our conditions. Oftentimes we are disappointed by our situation.
If we have the eyes of God, if we can see God’s purpose, you find that God’s purpose never changes in spite of the conditions and the situation. You find God saying, “I will. I will work until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth.”
Why? Because this is God’s purpose. God’s purpose for Zion is that there shall be righteousness; there shall be salvation.
As you read on, you find:
And the nations shall see thy righteousness,
and all kings thy glory.
God’s purpose for Zion is righteousness, salvation, and glory. “Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” They shall be marked with a new name.
Thou shalt also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
This is God’s purpose: even a crown of beauty, a royal diadem in God’s hand. In other words, God has made Zion to be a crown of beauty. It is God Himself who makes Jerusalem a royal diadem. God has made her such that she may be the crown and the diadem in His hand.
Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken.
You know, in the different versions—I do not know what version you are using—actually here you find four different Hebrew words. Yet in some versions, you find two Hebrew words translated and two remaining untranslated.
In my version, they are all translated. If they should be translated, they should all be translated; if not, then they should all remain in Hebrew.
“Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken”—Azubah. If you read 1 Kings 22:42, you find that Azubah is the name of the mother of Jehoshaphat. Azubah means “forsaken.”
“Neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate”—Shemamah, “desolate.” But thou shalt be called Hephzibah. Hephzibah again is a woman’s name. That name is the name of the mother of Manasseh in 2 Kings 21.
And thy land, Beulah—married. So here you find God saying, “You shall no longer be called Forsaken and Desolate, but you shall become ‘My delight is in her,’ and ‘Married.’”
Not only shall thy people marry thee, but I will marry thee too. In other words, they will be filled with people, and God will take the city as His bride. God Himself will be a bridegroom to that city.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, you find these are the various descriptions of God’s purpose concerning Zion and Jerusalem, and this purpose is glorious.
Now, what is God’s purpose with His church today? When we look at the situation and the conditions of the church today, probably we will almost give up.
Why? Instead of Jerusalem, the city of peace, we find the church today is full of turmoil. The church is divided. The city is divided. God’s people are not together. God’s people fight against each other. God’s people are in captivity. The testimony of God is weak. There is not a royal sceptre on Mount Zion.
Brothers and sisters, if we look at the situation, if we look at the conditions of God’s people today, we will be disappointed, because we are not what we should be. We are not what God has purposed us to be.
Now, is there any hope? If it is left to us, there is no hope. If we think of ourselves, probably it would be worse rather than better. There is no hope so far as we ourselves are concerned.
But thank God, brothers and sisters, God has not given up. Why? Because God has chosen us.
In Ephesians 1, we are told that even before the foundation of the world, God chose us in Christ Jesus—not because we are better than other people in the rest of the world, but because it pleased God. It is the good pleasure of God that He should choose us in Christ Jesus.
Now, what is the purpose of His choosing us? His purpose in choosing us is that we may be holy and without blemish before Him in love.
What is God’s purpose concerning His church? God’s purpose concerning His church is that her righteousness should shine as brightness.
You read the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. In the book of Revelation, we are told that God’s ultimate purpose concerning His church is all realized.
In Revelation 19, it is said that it has been given to her to be arrayed in fine linen, bright and pure. The church is to be clothed with fine linen, white and shining, which is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then you go on to Revelation 21, and you find the holy city, the New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light is like a most precious stone.
Brothers and sisters, this is God’s purpose concerning the church: that her righteousness shall go forth as brightness. In other words, the church shall be clothed with righteousness.
Because she is clothed with Christ, because she is in union with Christ, because the Holy Spirit is working Christ into her, the result is that she shall be filled with the righteous acts of the saints. The beauty of Christ shall be manifested in brightness in the church. Christ shall be glorified in the church.
And her salvation shall be as a lamp that burneth. In other words, the church shall know the salvation of the Lord in such a way that she shall be a testimony to all the world of the salvation of the Lord, as a lamp that burneth.
The Bible says that the nations shall walk by its light, by the light of that city, and the kings shall bring their glory into it.
So you find that everything spoken concerning Zion and Jerusalem shall be spiritually fulfilled in the church.
Indeed, the church shall have a new name: the New Jerusalem, not the old one. Because God has made everything new. Everything is of God. There is nothing earthly; there is nothing of man. Everything is of God, and everything is new.
No longer Azubah, forsaken, but Hephzibah: “My delight is in her.” No longer Shemamah, desolate, but Beulah, married—a Beulah land flowing with milk and honey.
Oh, brothers and sisters, sometimes we need to forget our circumstances. We need to close our eyes to our conditions—not that we try to deceive ourselves. We know only too well our conditions and our situation.
But sometimes, you know, we need to be delivered out of ourselves and see the church from God’s viewpoint. When we see the church according to the eternal purpose of God in Christ Jesus, oh, brothers and sisters, how we thank God that, in spite of our conditions, in spite of the situation that we are in today, we know that God is working toward His purpose.
The Lord Jesus said:
I will build My church;
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
The Lord Himself said, “I will build.” He is building. Can He fail? He said, “I will not rest. I will give Myself no rest. I am working and working until Jerusalem shall be a crown of beauty and a royal diadem.”
Thank God, men may fail, but God cannot fail. He who calls us is faithful, and He will perform it. So, brothers and sisters, this gives us great encouragement.
Think of the children of Israel among those who were in captivity, or even with the remnant who had returned. They were in great distress. When they heard these words of God, spoken long ago—at least two hundred years before the remnant returned and built the city—what a comfort, what an uplifting, what a substance for their faith!
Brothers and sisters, this is what we need. We need to see God’s purpose concerning His church, and God is determined to realize His purpose in spite of everything.
God takes upon Himself the responsibility to fulfil His purpose concerning His church. As a matter of fact, it does not depend on you, and it does not depend on me. God takes upon Himself the full responsibility of working toward the realization of His eternal purpose.
Thank God for that. It takes all our worry away and our anxiety away. Yet, when God works, He has a way of working.
Especially in the new creation, you know, when He created the old creation, He worked alone. He did not ask you to come and join in that work, because you were not there yet. None of us were. He worked all alone.
He created the heavens and the earth. He created all things in the universe, and He created us. In other words, in the old creation God worked alone by Himself, and He did it all.
But, friends, He is working in the new creation. He has changed His principle. He will work; it is He who works. Yet He works with a different principle: He wants us to join Him in His work.
Therefore, you find in the second portion of this passage, in Isaiah 62:6:
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem;
they shall never hold their peace day nor night:
ye that are the Lord’s remembrancers,
take ye no rest,
and give Him no rest,
till He establish,
and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
In the first portion, God said, “I will not hold My peace. I will not rest.” God said He would work, and He would work until His purpose was fully realized. Then, in the second section, you see how He works. He said, “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem.”
When God begins to work, He works in man and with man. He sets watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem.
Now, in the old days, every city had a wall. The wall was for protection. Then you find that they set watchmen on the walls. Why? Because the wall was higher, and the watchmen on the wall would look out over the horizon.
Whenever they saw any movement on the horizon, immediately they would cry out and warn the inhabitants within the city. This was their work.
So here you find watchmen placed on the walls on all sides, and they are watching all the time. If there is a slight movement on the horizon, they notice it, and immediately they give out the warning.
God said, “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem.” Brothers and sisters, when God begins to work, He will set watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem. That is to say, He will call some among God’s people to serve as watchmen.
God has His watchmen. Those watchmen are people who are on higher ground. They are on the walls. They are people who are watching when other people are sleeping.
They are watching when other people are relaxing. They are vigilant. They are on the walls watching.
Brothers and sisters, when God’s people are sleeping and resting, God will apprehend some of His people and set them as watchmen of the church.
God will lead you to higher ground, into the heavenlies. When God’s people are living on lower ground, as it were, in such close touch with the world and in such close mixture with the earth, God is calling some of them to rise up.
We were dead with Christ. We are raised together with Christ, and we are now seated with Him together in the heavenlies. God will call His people to come out, to come to higher ground, into the heavenlies with Him on the wall.
As you stand on higher ground, then you are able to see not only the horizon, but even beyond the horizon. You are able to see what is coming. You are able to see the things that are gathering. More than that, you are able to see beyond what is coming, into the eternal purpose of God.
Oh, brothers and sisters, God needs watchmen. God is well able to do the work, and yet He needs watchmen in the church.
Are we willing to pay the cost to be watchmen? Are we willing to be watching while others are resting? Are we willing to climb to the higher ground, to stay in the heavenlies with Christ, that we may be able to see further than other people?
May we be able not only to see what is coming, but also to see that which is beyond the horizon: the eternal purpose of God.
God is calling for watchmen. You find that the watchman here has more duties than an ordinary watchman. Why? Number one, he is a watchman; he is to watch. But number two, he is to pray. He is to intercede.
So here you find:
All the day and all the night,
they shall never hold their peace.
They shall never hold their peace. They are not only watching, but watching unto prayer.
Brothers and sisters, if we do not watch, we cannot pray. We do not know what to pray for. But if we do watch, then we are to pray. Why? Because what we have seen will drive us to our knees.
If we see and do not give ourselves to prayer, then what we see is as if we had not seen.
You know, we can see things, and yet some people really see while other people see as if they have not seen.
When the Lord saw the multitudes, His heart was full of compassion. He said they were like sheep without a shepherd. But the disciples did not see that. They saw the multitude, but that was all.
They did not see. They had no burden. They did not pray. The Lord said, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth laborers into His harvest.”
Oh, how we need to see!
We are living in a very thrilling time. We are living in the end time. Things are gathering; all things are moving. These are very interesting times.
If we watch what is coming to this world, and in what relation it is to the church and to God’s purpose, then we should give ourselves to prayer night and day. Do not hold your peace.
Oh, how we need to pray! We are not only watchmen; we are intercessors.
Not only intercessors, but:
Ye that are the Lord’s remembrancers,
take ye no rest,
and give Him no rest.
We are remembrancers—reminders. You know, in the old days, in the royal court, they had people who were called recorders. They recorded all the important events that happened to the kingdom, and they were people who were remembrancers.
That is to say, they would remind the king from time to time of the promises he had made. The king might make many promises: he might say that he would reward a certain person or that he would do a certain thing. But he had so many affairs that he forgot.
So, in the royal court, there were people who were reminders. They would remind the king: “Now, you forgot to reward a certain person as you promised.”
Here you find that, in the royal court of God, we are called to be remembrancers—reminders. Think of that. We are not only watchmen, we are intercessors, and we are also reminders of God.
Does God need to be reminded? Certainly not. We often forget, but God never forgets. He never forgets His promise. Yet it pleases Him to set us as His reminders.
Who is our Remembrancer? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us is our Remembrancer. Oh, how often He reminds us of Christ. He reminds us of the truth. He reminds us of God’s Word. Because He so reminds us, therefore He strengthens us.
As the Holy Spirit reminds us and brings God’s promises to us, we bring His promises to God and say, “Lord, You have said it. Do not forget it. Have You done it?”
Take ye no rest,
and give Him no rest.
God said, “I will not rest.” And God said, “Give Me no rest.”
God is determined not to rest until He has established Jerusalem and made Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
God said, “Do not give Me any rest. You just remind Me day and night. Do not keep silent, but remind Me day and night until I establish Jerusalem and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”
Oh, brothers and sisters, what a privilege to remind God!
You read the Bible, and you find from time to time those who knew God and how they reminded God. Think of how Abraham reminded God when God determined to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
You remember that God shared His burden with Abraham. Abraham drew near and said, “Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city. Wilt Thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? Wilt Thou not spare the city?”
Here you find Abraham reminding God of God’s character: “You are a just God. Do not do anything unjust that will reflect upon Your name.” He was a good remembrancer.
Moses reminded God too. When God told Moses, “I will wipe out these people, and I will raise up your seed to be a great nation,” Moses drew near and said, “Our God, do You not remember Your name? Your name is merciful and gracious, ready to forgive.”
And God said, “I forgive.” Brothers and sisters, we need to remind God.
How many of God’s people today are really watchmen? How many of God’s people today are really intercessors? How many of God’s people today are really remembrancers of God?
Oh, do we just sit back and go to sleep, and just wait passively for God to work? That is not God’s way of working.
It is true: it is God who works. You cannot work. I cannot work. None of us can do anything. No matter what we do, or how we do it, it is totally of no use.
God said, “I will do it.” But God said, “I need watchmen. I need intercessors. I need remembrancers.”
Is it because there are no watchmen, no intercessors, and no remembrancers that God is therefore hindered? He cannot work? He does not work? No. He cannot deny Himself. If this is His will, then He cannot deny Himself.
Oh, how important it is to see this, brothers and sisters. On the one hand, we need to see God’s purpose. It never changes. Nothing can change God’s purpose. His purpose shall be fulfilled. Thank God.
On the other hand, in connection with that purpose, God needs watchmen.
May we give ourselves to the Lord. Set ourselves apart, willing to stay in the heavenlies on the high ground; to watch and pray, intercede, and remind God of His Word, of His promise, and of His purpose.
And God said:
The Lord hath sworn by His right hand,
and by the arm of His strength,
Surely I will no more give thy grain to be food for thine enemies.
You know, when there are watchmen, intercessors, and remembrancers, God says, “All right, I have sworn. I will do it. I will do it.”
So, dear brothers and sisters, this morning may we see God’s purpose, and may we join ourselves to that purpose in answering the call of God to be watchmen, intercessors, and remembrancers of God.
Oh, heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee that Thou dost lift us out of this world, that we may see Thy purpose concerning Thy church. Oh, how glorious it is! Thou dost say it shall be a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, that it may be presented to Thyself as Thy bride.
Oh, our heavenly Father, how we praise and thank Thee that this is Thy purpose, and Thou art working toward Thy purpose. Thou dost say, “I will build My church upon this rock, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
In spite of all that we are, in spite of our conditions, in spite of all that we see around us, oh Lord, how we praise and thank Thee that Thou dost give us hope. Thou art working. Thou art working quietly and silently, but persistently and continuously. Thou art working toward the realization of Thy purpose.
Oh, we praise and thank Thee, good Lord. Thou dost show us that Thou hast a way. Thou art calling out of Thy people watchmen, intercessors, and remembrancers of God.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, that we may hear Thy call; that we may be placed as watchmen on the wall. We may watch and pray, pray and watch, that we may lay hold of Thy promises and intercede on behalf of Thy church.
Oh, Lord, make us such, we pray, that Thy work may quickly be realized and that Thou mayest be glorified in the church. We pray that Thou wilt use these words to stir our hearts.
We pray that, by the quickening of Thy Spirit, we may be brought to that place where we can be useful in Thy hand. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.