The Cause of Revival

Isaiah 63:1–6 The Cause of Revival

Introduction

Isaiah 62 begins a section on revival that goes to chapter 64. WE know it is the case because the bold license given to give the Lord no rest until he does what he delights to do for us in making the church a praise in the earth! Everything that follows relates to that confidence that he will do it. Chapter 62 introduced us to the 3 C’s of revival, namely concern, confidence, and conduct that God gives in revival. We may know revival comes when God gives a man a concern for the condition of God’s church beyond his personal interests, and a confidence in envisioning what the church will become according to God’s promise, and compels him to propound the conduct necessary for revival.

But who causes all this? That is what we turn to next in Isaiah 63, in the words “Who is this who comes…?” Revival comes by Christ alone. It is promised in history, but especially at the end of history, that Christ will restore or revive his church to what she was intended to be. Isaiah speaks of this cause of revival as a mysterious wonder accomplished through a mighty warrior by his monergistic work.

Revival is a mystery caused by a mighty spiritual warrior accomplishing it alone or monergistically.

Revival is a Mysterious Wonder

Isaiah says in the voice of the watchmen (cf. 62:6), “WHO is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength?” (63:1)

The first thing perhaps to notice is the place from which this one comes — “Edom.” Edom is found in Genesis 25:30 describing Esau in his giving up his birthright. Edom comes in Scripture to represent the pervasive enemy of God’s people, first in Numbers 20:14–21; and then by the time of the latter prophets in Amos 1:11 perpetually condemned. The chief city of Edom was Bozrah, which makes sense of the crimsoned garments that are said in v.1b to be “from Bozrah.” This mysterious person is said to come from Edom clothed in the red garments of that chief opposing city. The picture is one beyond expectation, especially as you read the words “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.”

Revival is like this, Isaiah declares; it comes from or takes place in an unexpected place. It is a mystery. It comes from one who God’s people may have considered an enemy before condemned to die. And is not that the case with Jesus Christ our Lord? On a cross condemned! And who would have imagined that from this place outside the city of Jerusalem, salvation would come? And no less — on a cross! The Roman punishment for the worst criminals was crucifixion. Herod the tetrarch was considered by the Jews as Edomite; and Rome as Edom or Idumea. Regardless, Rome was that chief enemy of God’s ancient people Israel. And he was there crucified, and salvation came forth for not only Israel but all the world! Man did not design salvation, but God. He brings life out of the most unexpected places. It is a mysterious wonder of God revealed; but once revealed it is clear what it is, salvation first, and revival where the church is restored by the power of the gospel again!

Revival is achieved by a Mighty Warrior

The question in v.2 is concerning the red apparel and garments that look like they are stained with the blood of grapes. These are reminiscent of our Savior’s soul suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane with great drops of blood in agony (Luke 22:44). It is a picture of a mighty warrior who answers why this was the case, and second as to why only him. Here we consider why this was the case— anger and wrath against the enemies of God’s people.

This is not wrath against Jerusalem, but Jerusalem’s enemies. Remember that he suffered outside the city! (Heb. 13:12) He says that his anger and wrath has brought this about, and it was because “For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come.” Note however this is not a victory achieved for Jerusalem or the church by military might. Brandon Crowe similarly writes of the kingdom of God,

“The kingdom comes not through military victory but through a greater, more lasting victory. Jesus is indeed a mighty warrior like His ancestor David, but He fights a bigger, more lasting battle over sin and death” (The Kingdom of God and the Work of Christ, p.152).

Jonathan Edwards in his History of Redemption spoke of this period as the proper time of the Redeemer’s dominion and reign of his redeeming love also illustrated in Daniel 2 and 7. It is the proper time of harvest or ingathering, the appointed day of triumph over Satan, the appointed day of marriage to his elect spouse as illustrated in Revelation 19:7. The harvest is described in Revelation 14:14–20, and it is clearly in spiritual terms in Revelation 19 by the sword of Christ’s mouth. B.B. Warfield writes,

“We are not to think, as we read, of any literal war or manual fighting, therefore; the conquest is wrought by the spoken word - in short, by the preaching of the Gospel. In fine, we have before us here a picture of the victorious career of the Gospel of Christ in the world. All the imagery of the dread battle and its hideous details are but to give us the impression of the completeness of the victory. Christ’s Gospel is to conquer the earth: He is to overcome all His enemies” (“The Millennium and the Apocalypse” from The Princeton Theological Review, v. 2, 1904, pp. 599-617).

An over literalistic reading focuses upon a war in Jerusalem, a doubly spiritualized reading focuses on the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, but this text stands before us like the Angel of the Lord in Joshua when he asked, “Are you for us our our enemies?” And the answer was “No.” And we may go as far as saying that this perspective has the ability by God’s mouth to end wars, wars like we read in James 4 that arise out of contentious hearts. Only God can cause such victory. Only Christ such a revival in his church, where complete victory will be had because of Christ’s war on the Cross, that rescued the elect of Judah and beyond!

It is from this the prophecy of Judah first made in Genesis 49:11 (“He has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes”) will be fulfilled and they shall go forth in Christ the mighty warrior conquering and to conquer all their spiritual enemies. And soon we may also be confident that the enemy will be conquered under the feet of omnipotence (Romans 16:20).

The Jacob and Esau background is not just a sad story, but a sad story with a prediction of history that is resolved by Christ’s victory, highlighting what happened at the cross as the war that ended all wars, and can end all contentions; revival does that, it is a restoration to seeing the God-man bloodied and suffering for our sins, standing before us, and not peddling to anyone’s theology but his own that is centered on what he has done for sinners as planned by the Father before the foundation of the world.

Revival is a Monergistic Work

The second emphasis in these verses is that of the monergistic work of revival. It is found in the words of “no one was with me…no one to help…my own arm brought me salvation” (vv.3–6). Monergism simply means a lonely work performed by one.

Contrary to Jesuits, who take on the name of Jesus in their proud preference, and call themselves God’s marines, the Reformed says Mastricht, dare not do so, because Jesus alone is savior. We do however take on the name Christian because we are the saved and followers of him (John 14:6). Rome and the middle men of our day all go for some other mediator or deliverer, when there is but one middle man who intercedes for us from heaven (whom they cannot replace); and to whom we are to go in prayer ourselves, and through no other (more of this in v.7 to come as we anticipate the natural cry after this scene of the Man of revival).

Here God alone is shown to be the only Savior and only one to revive the church in the most desolate of times. What better a match for a desolate and lonely church in the world than a lonely Jesus (Martyn Lloyd-Jones), who bore our sins on the cross — alone! The victory obtained here is over all of Israel’s enemies in the time of Babylon, but points to the victory obtained by the grace of God over the church’s spiritual enemies forever (Edwards). The idea of revival and salvation for that matter being anything of man’s will is utter folly. Scripture declares that the work that God does for his church in Christ is a work entirely of him. Revival is largely a restoration of the glory of God in Christ for salvation in the church, soli Deo gloria! Glory to God alone! This is why the Protestant Reformation may be viewed as a glorious revival, where God is once again restored to the center of the life of the church as the only savior and by his own arm and Word, and she is made a praise in all the earth! May he do it again!