Why is God angry? What can we do about it? Who is treading this winepress? What will this prophecy accomplish?
God’s Word Will Not Fail
Isaiah 63:1-2… Who is this coming from Edom in crimson-stained garments from Bozrah— this One who is splendid in His apparel, rising up proudly in His great might? It is I, proclaiming vindication, (righteousness) with power to save. 2 Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads a winepress?
Where is Bozrah and Edom? Edom was a nation situated Southeast from Jerusalem and across the Dead Sea, Bozrah was the capital for the nation at one time. Esau was the brother of Jacob the one who founded the nation of Edom. Why question about the red garments and the treading of the winepress?
The question was meant to draw attention to the action of the process of treading of a winepress. For anyone who treads the winepress, their garments would usually become red and stained as blood. So, this expression is meant to be a powerful word picture.
Disaster for Esau’s Family
This prophecy is meant to draw attention to the hostilities engendered by the wicked spirit forces against God and his choice for a people. With God pointing out Edom as the beginning of the hostilities, between the blood of brothers, God next reveals what he intends to do about it.
Now back to our reading from Isaiah chapter 63:
Isaiah 63:3-4… I trampled the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and ground them underfoot in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. 4 For I have planned the day of vengeance, and the year of My redemption has come.
The expression the planned day of vengeance refers to the time. When God will execute the judgment upon the wicked spirit forces. The consumption of the age has come, the payment for the work they have done has arrived. The redemption price will be applied who have died with the love of God and with the Christ in their hearts.
Why God was angry with Edom is now explained at Amos.
Amos 1:11-12… I will not relent from punishing Edom for three crimes, even four, because he pursued his brother with the sword. He stifled his compassion, his anger tore at them continually, and he harbored his rage incessantly. 12 Therefore, I will send fire against Teman, and it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.
God has kept account of all the injuries done to his people by the enemies of Zion.
Next we will read about another prophecy from Isaiah chapter 34. Where we hope you can see the tie-in.
Isaiah 34:1-5… You nations, come here and listen; you peoples, pay attention! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all that comes from it. 2 The Lord is angry with all the nations— furious with all their armies. He will set them apart for destruction, giving them over to slaughter. 3 Their slain will be thrown out, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow (melt) with their blood. 4 All the heavenly bodies will dissolve. The skies will roll up like a scroll, and their stars will all wither as leaves wither on the vine, and foliage on the fig tree. 5 When My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens, it will then come down on Edom and on the people I have set apart for destruction.
We see here that God is prophesying against the nations that are ruling over mankind, he is against the heavenly authorities, and their judgment is coming.
The Judgment of Edom
Isaiah 34:6-8… The Lord’s sword is covered with blood. It drips with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom. 7 The wild oxen will be struck down with them, and young bulls with the mighty bulls. Their land will be soaked with blood, and their soil will be saturated with fat. 8 For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a time of paying back Edom for its hostility against Zion.
Next we hear from the prophet Jeremiah about the judgment to be rendered to Edom.
Jeremiah 49:7-13… About Edom, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom rotted away? 8 Run! Turn back! Lie low, residents of Dedan, for I will bring Esau’s calamity on him at the time I punish him. 9 If grape harvesters came to you, wouldn’t they leave some gleanings? Were thieves to come in the night, they would destroy only what they wanted. 10 But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his secret places. He will try to hide himself, but he will be unable. His descendants will be destroyed along with his relatives and neighbors. He will exist no longer. 11 Abandon your fatherless; I will preserve them; let your widows trust in Me. 12 “For this is what the Lord says: If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, can you possibly remain unpunished? You will not remain unpunished, for you must drink it too. 13 For by Myself I have sworn”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“Bozrah will become a desolation, a disgrace, a ruin, and a curse, and all her cities will become ruins forever.”
Drink from My Cup
Back to our reading of Isaiah chapter 63:
Isaiah 63:5-6… I looked, but there was no one to help, and I was amazed that no one assisted; so My arm accomplished victory for Me, and My wrath assisted Me. 6 I have crushed nations in My anger; I made them drunk with My wrath and poured out their blood on the ground.
How did God make the nations drunk? What is in this cup?
Jeremiah 25:15-17… This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and make all the nations I am sending you to, drink from it. 16 They will drink, stagger, (vomit) and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.” 17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations drink from it, everyone the Lord sent me to.
This cup is referred to as the wine of God’s wrath. It is the knowledge that a destructive force is coming to the wicked, all the nations will drink from it. The drinking of this wine is guaranteed to make you sick and act crazy.
Prepare for a Holy War You Nations
The day of God’s judgment has arrived, prepare yourself and proclaim this:
Joel 3:9-17… Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for holy war; rouse the warriors; let all the men of war advance and attack! 10 Beat your plows into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let even the weakling say, “I am a warrior.” 11 Come quickly, all you surrounding nations; gather yourselves. Bring down Your warriors there, Lord. 12 Let the nations be roused and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the surrounding nations. 13 Swing the sickle because the harvest is ripe. Come and trample the grapes because the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because the wickedness of the nations is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will cease their shining.
16 The Lord will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the Israelites. 17 Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God, who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, and foreigners will never overrun it again.
What commentary could I possibly add to what the prophet has already said. It is as the nose upon your face, as to what God intends to do. Who is it that treads the winepress of God’s anger?
He Who Treads the Winepress
Revelation 19:11-20… Then I saw Heaven wide open, and before my eyes appeared a white horse, whose rider is called faithful and true, for his judgment and his warfare are just. His eyes are a flame of fire and there are many diadems upon his head. There is a name written upon him, known only to himself. He is dressed in a cloak dipped in blood, and the name by which he is known is the Word of God. The armies of Heaven follow him, riding upon white horses and clad in white and spotless linen. Out of his mouth there comes a sharp sword with which to strike the nations. ‘He will rule them with a rod of iron’, and alone he will tread the winepress of the furious wrath of God the Almighty. Written upon his cloak and upon his thigh is the name, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing alone in the blazing light of the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice, calling to all the birds flying in mid-air, “Come, flock together to God’s great feast! Here you may eat the flesh of kings and captains, the flesh of strong men, of horses and their riders—the flesh of all men, free men and slaves, small and great!” And I saw the Wild Beast with the kings of the earth and their armies massed together for battle against the rider upon the horse and his army. The animal (the wild beast) was captured and with it the false prophet who had performed marvels in its presence, which he had used to deceive those who accepted the mark of the animal (the wild beast) and worshipped its statue. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with Sulphur.
As you read these prophecies, and you may wonder how is it that they are so foolish as to think they are going to war against God?
Now back to the reading of Isaiah chapter 63:
The Lord Is Faithful in His Love
Isaiah 63:7-14… I will make known the Lord’s faithful love and the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, because of all the Lord has done for us— even the many good things He has done for the house of Israel and has done for them based on His compassion and the abundance of His faithful love. 8 He said, “They are indeed My people, children who will not be disloyal,” and He became their Savior. 9 In all their suffering, He suffered, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. He redeemed them because of His love and compassion; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of the past. 10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He became their enemy and fought against them. 11 Then He remembered the days of the past, the days of Moses and his people. Where is He who brought them out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit among the flock? 12 He sent His glorious arm to be at Moses’ right hand, divided the waters before them to obtain eternal fame for Himself, 13 and led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble. 14 Like cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. You led Your people this way to make a glorious name for Yourself.
God’s people of the past in fact rebelled against him. So that God took decisive action against his people to bring them down low. God remembered so he sent his own right hand to bring them into the promised land.
Isaiah’s Prayer
Isaiah 63:15-19…Look down from heaven and see from Your lofty home—holy and beautiful. Where is Your zeal, Your might, Your yearning? Your compassion are withheld from me. 16 Yet You are our Father, even though Abraham does not know us and Israel doesn’t recognize us. You, Yahweh, are our Father; from ancient times, Your name is our Redeemer. 17 Why, Yahweh, do You make us stray from Your ways? You harden our hearts, so we do not fear You. Return, because of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. 18 Your holy people had a possession
for a little while, but our enemies have trampled down Your sanctuary. 19 We have become like those You never ruled over, like those not called by Your name.
Isaiah was shown what was to happen in the future. He realized the state of affairs that the people of God are finding themselves in. In desperation he prayed this prayer for the people. He asked a lot of questions that he did not know the answers to. Today looking back to Isaiah’s time, we now have the answers to those questions that he pinned, and we now know that God is going to restore his people, for the year of His redemption has come.
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