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Isa 45:14-25 Part 2 Every Knee Shall Bow and Every Tongue Confess

In our last study we were discussing the proper translation of the Hebrew phrase, ‘ad olam ad’ in this verse:

Isa 45:17  But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world [‘ad’^H5704] without [‘olam’^H5769] end [‘ad’^H5703].

We saw how the first ‘ad’ was assigned the Strong’s number 5704 and was defined as:

H5704
עד
‛ad
ad

Properly the same as H5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or conjugation; especially with a preposition); as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with): - against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for (-as much as), [hither-] to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.

We saw that this word is translated as ‘until’ and ‘till’ in 388 of the 590 entries for this Hebrew word. We concluded that the English word ‘until’ is a much better translation of this Hebrew word than the word ‘world’ in the phrase ‘ad olam ad’ which is translated as “world without end” here in Isaiah 45:17.

Our last study ended with the definition of the Hebrew word ‘olam’ which we will now review:

H5769
עֹלָם    עוֹלָם
‛ôlâm    ‛ôlâm
o-lawm', o-lawm'

From H5956; properly concealed, that is, the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), that is, (practically) eternity; frequentative adverbially (especially with prepositional prefix) always: - always (-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, [n-]) ever (-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end). Compare H5331, H5703.

‘Olam’ is from H5956, and this is the definition of 5956:

H5956
עָלַם
‛âlam
aw-lam'

A primitive root; to veil from sight, that is, conceal (literally or figuratively): -  X any ways, blind, dissembler, hide (self), secret (thing). 

So, both words ‘olam’ and ‘alam’, mean “properly concealed”, and neither “properly” have anything at all to do with the concept of endless time nor the English words, ‘eternal, or eternity’, forever, or ‘everlasting’.

Let's look at how the translators normally translate this Hebrew word, 'olam':

H5769
עלם  /  עולם
‛ôlâm
Total KJV Occurrences: 438
ever, 269
Gen_3:22, Exo_3:15 (2), Exo_12:14, Exo_12:17, Exo_12:24, Exo_14:13, Exo_19:9, Exo_21:6, Exo_27:21, Exo_28:43, Exo_29:28, Exo_30:21, Exo_31:17, Exo_32:13, Lev_6:18, Lev_6:22, Lev_7:34, Lev_7:36, Lev_10:9, Lev_10:15, Lev_16:29, Lev_16:31, Lev_17:7, Lev_23:14, Lev_23:21, Lev_23:31, Lev_23:41, Lev_24:3, Lev_25:46, Num_10:8, Num_15:15, Num_18:8, Num_18:11, Num_18:19 (2), Num_18:23, Num_19:10, Deu_5:29, Deu_12:28, Deu_15:16-17 (2), Deu_23:3, Deu_23:6, Deu_28:46, Deu_29:29, Deu_32:40, Jos_4:7, Jos_8:28, Jos_14:9, 1Sa_1:22, 1Sa_2:30, 1Sa_3:13-14 (2), 1Sa_13:13, 1Sa_20:15, 1Sa_20:23, 1Sa_20:42, 1Sa_27:12, 2Sa_3:28, 2Sa_7:13, 2Sa_7:16 (2), 2Sa_7:24-26 (3), 2Sa_7:29 (2), 1Ki_1:31, 1Ki_2:33 (2), 1Ki_8:13, 1Ki_9:3, 1Ki_9:5, 1Ki_10:9, 2Ki_5:27, 2Ki_21:7, 1Ch_15:2, 1Ch_16:34, 1Ch_16:36 (2), 1Ch_16:41, 1Ch_17:12, 1Ch_17:14, 1Ch_17:22-24 (3), 1Ch_17:27 (2), 1Ch_22:10, 1Ch_23:13 (2), 1Ch_23:25, 1Ch_28:4, 1Ch_28:7-8 (2), 1Ch_29:10 (2), 1Ch_29:18, 2Ch_2:4, 2Ch_5:13, 2Ch_7:2-3 (2), 2Ch_7:6, 2Ch_7:16, 2Ch_9:8, 2Ch_13:5, 2Ch_20:7, 2Ch_20:21, 2Ch_30:8, 2Ch_33:4, Ezr_9:11-12 (3), Neh_2:3, Neh_9:5 (2), Neh_13:1, Job_41:4, Psa_5:11, Psa_9:5, Psa_9:7, Psa_10:16, Psa_12:7, Psa_21:4, Psa_29:9-10 (2), Psa_30:12, Psa_33:11, Psa_37:18, Psa_37:28, Psa_41:12, Psa_44:8, Psa_45:2, Psa_45:6, Psa_45:17, Psa_49:8 (2), Psa_49:11, Psa_52:8-9 (2), Psa_61:4, Psa_66:7 (2), Psa_72:17, Psa_72:19, Psa_73:26, Psa_75:9, Psa_77:7, Psa_78:69, Psa_79:13, Psa_81:15, Psa_85:5, Psa_89:1-2 (2), Psa_89:4, Psa_89:36-37 (2), Psa_102:12, Psa_103:9, Psa_104:5, Psa_104:31, Psa_105:8, Psa_107:1 (2), Psa_111:4-5 (2), Psa_111:8-10 (3), Psa_112:6, Psa_117:2, Psa_118:1-4 (4), Psa_118:29, Psa_119:44, Psa_119:89, Psa_119:98, Psa_119:111, Psa_119:152, Psa_119:160, Psa_131:1-3 (3), Psa_135:13, Ps 136 (26), Psa_138:8, Psa_145:1-2 (2), Psa_145:21, Psa_146:6, Psa_146:10, Psa_148:6, Pro_27:24, Ecc_1:4, Ecc_2:16, Ecc_3:14, Isa_30:6-8 (3), Isa_32:14, Isa_32:17, Isa_34:10, Isa_34:17, Isa_40:8, Isa_47:7, Isa_51:6, Isa_51:8, Isa_57:16, Isa_60:21 (2), Jer_3:12, Jer_7:7 (2), Jer_17:4, Jer_17:25, Jer_25:5 (2), Jer_31:40, Jer_33:11, Jer_35:6, Jer_49:33, Jer_51:26, Jer_51:62, Lam_3:31, Lam_5:19, Eze_37:25 (2), Eze_43:7, Eze_43:9, Dan_12:3, Dan_12:7, Hos_2:19, Joe_2:2, Joe_3:20, Oba_1:10, Jon_2:6, Mic_2:9, Mic_4:5, Mic_4:7, Zec_1:5, Mal_1:4
everlasting, 64
Gen_9:16, Gen_17:7-8 (2), Gen_17:13, Gen_17:19, Gen_21:33, Gen_48:4, Gen_49:26, Exo_40:15, Lev_16:34, Lev_24:8, Num_25:13, Deu_33:27, 2Sa_23:5, 1Ch_16:17, Psa_24:7, Psa_24:9, Psa_41:13 (2), Psa_93:2 (3), Psa_100:5, Psa_103:17 (2), Psa_105:10, Psa_106:48 (2), Psa_112:6, Psa_119:142, Psa_119:144, Psa_139:24, Psa_145:13, Pro_8:23, Pro_10:25, Isa_24:5, Isa_26:4, Isa_33:14, Isa_35:10, Isa_40:28, Isa_45:17, Isa_51:11, Isa_54:8, Isa_55:3, Isa_55:13, Isa_56:5, Isa_60:19-20 (2), Isa_61:7-8 (2), Isa_63:12, Isa_63:16, Jer_20:10-11 (2), Jer_23:40, Jer_31:3, Jer_32:40, Eze_16:60, Eze_37:26, Dan_9:24, Mic_5:2 (3), Hab_3:6
old, 26
Gen_6:4, Deu_32:7, Jos_24:2, 1Sa_27:8, Job_22:15, Psa_25:6, Psa_119:52, Ecc_1:10 (2), Isa_51:9 (2), Isa_58:11-12 (2), Isa_61:4, Isa_63:9, Isa_63:11, Jer_2:20, Jer_6:16, Jer_28:8, Lam_3:6, Eze_25:15, Eze_26:20 (2), Amo_9:11, Mic_7:14, Mal_3:4
perpetual, 22
Gen_9:12, Exo_29:9, Lev_3:16-17 (2), Lev_24:9, Lev_25:34, Num_19:21, Psa_78:66, Jer_5:22, Jer_18:16, Jer_23:40, Jer_25:9, Jer_49:12-13 (2), Jer_50:5, Jer_51:39, Jer_51:57, Eze_35:5, Eze_35:9, Eze_46:14, Hab_3:6, Zep_2:9
never, 16
Jdg_2:1, 2Sa_12:10, Psa_30:5-6 (2), Psa_55:22, Psa_71:1, Psa_119:93, Pro_10:30, Isa_14:20, Isa_25:2, Isa_63:19, Eze_26:21, Eze_27:36, Eze_28:19, Joe_2:26-27 (2)
evermore, 15
2Sa_22:51, 1Ch_17:14, Psa_18:50, Psa_37:27, Psa_86:12, Psa_89:28, Psa_89:52, Psa_92:8, Psa_106:31, Psa_113:2, Psa_115:18, Psa_121:8, Psa_133:3, Eze_37:26, Eze_37:28
ancient, 6
Psa_77:5, Pro_22:28, Isa_44:7, Jer_18:15 (2), Eze_36:2
world, 4
Psa_73:12, Ecc_3:11, Isa_45:17, Isa_64:4
always, 3
Gen_6:3, 1Ch_16:15, Jer_20:17
long, 3
Psa_143:3, Ecc_12:5, Isa_42:14
alway, 2
Job_7:16, Psa_119:112
any, 1
Lev_25:32
beginning, 1
Isa_64:4
continuance, 1
Isa_64:4-5 (2)
end, 1
Isa_45:17
eternal, 1
Isa_60:15
lasting, 1
Deu_33:15 (2)
time, 1
Jos_24:2
without, 1
Isa_45:17

333 of the 438 entries are either ‘ever’ or ‘everlasting’. This is an example of how the Hebrew word ‘olam’ was understood by Christ who inspired that word to be used in scripture:

Deu 15:17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

It is obvious that ‘olam’ has nothing to do with ‘everlasting’ or ‘eternal’ in the sense of endless time. The “servant” will not be his servant in the resurrection.

I have emboldened the entry translated as 'world' to demonstrate that this Hebrew word 'olam', like its Greek equivalent 'aion', simply means 'an age, with a beginning and an end'. It matters not how many times it is mistranslated as eternal, eternity, forever or everlasting. The Truth remains that 'olam' has a beginning and an end.

Here is a verse where 'olam' is translated as 'world', which demonstrates that 'olam' has a beginning and an end:

Ecc 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world [Hebrew: 'olam'^H5769] in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

He has set the 'olam' in our hearts so we cannot find out what He has written in our books. Our days were written in the Lord's book before there were any of them (Psa 139:16 ASV) so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end".

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

How, then, can we make this word to mean 'eternity'? It cannot be done, and it has nothing to do with endless time. It has everything to do with that which is "from the beginning to the end".

There are many other examples of the limited nature of this Hebrew word ‘olam’, not the least of which is the Davidic covenant of Psalms 89:

Psa 89:20  I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
Psa 89:21  With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.
Psa 89:22  The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
Psa 89:23  And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
Psa 89:24  But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
Psa 89:25  I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
Psa 89:26  He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
Psa 89:27  Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
Psa 89:28  My mercy will I keep for him for evermore [‘olam’^H5769], and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
Psa 89:29  His seed also will I make to endure for ever [‘ad’^H5703], and his throne as the days of heaven.
Psa 89:30  If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
Psa 89:31  If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
Psa 89:32  Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
Psa 89:33  Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
Psa 89:34  My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Psa 89:35  Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
Psa 89:36  His seed shall endure for ever [‘olam’^H5769], and his throne as the sun before me.
Psa 89:37  It shall be established for ever [‘olam’^H5769], as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

Let’s examine these three verses:

Psa 89:29  His seed also will I make to endure for ever [‘ad’^H5703], and his throne as the days of heaven. 

Psa 89:36  His seed shall endure for ever [‘olam’^H5769], and his throne as the sun before me. 
Psa 89:37  It shall be established for ever [‘olam’^H5769], as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

His seed will I make to endure ‘ad’, and his throne “as the days of heaven… ‘olam’ as the sun… ‘olam’ as the moon”. Are we being told King David’s physical seed and his physical throne would never cease to exist? Obviously not, because there has been no one on his physical throne since the time of Zedekiah whose reign ended in 587 or 586 B.C. 

Add to that the fact that Christ Himself tells us this of the heavens:

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Yes, there will be a “new heaven and a new earth” (2Pe 3:13), but in the outward sense this promise was to preserve David’s physical seed for ‘olam’, and his physical throne for ‘ad’. Yet there were 586 years before Christ when there was no one sitting on the physical throne of King David.

When we acknowledge that the Hebrew words ‘olam’ and ‘ad’ are the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word ‘aion’ (the English word eon), which means simply a ‘period of time with a definite beginning and a definite ending’, then we must acknowledge that the Lord was indeed very longsuffering in keeping His promise to preserve King David’s physical throne for a very long ‘period of time’. Nevertheless, that period of time had a definite beginning when David was anointed king over all of Israel, and it had a definite ending when Zedekiah was taken off that throne to die in Babylon 586 years before Christ. The next king to sit on David’s throne would be Christ, who will give the kingdom to His Christ.

Luk 22:29  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

The “you” of this verse is the ‘Christ’ of Christ. It is His anointed, also called “the firstborn among brothers”, who will fulfill this verse of the Davidic covenant:

Psa 89:27  Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 

This is the true “firstborn” of Christ:

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

King David’s physical seed were ordained for ‘ad’ and his physical throne was ordained for ‘olam’. Neither were ever intended by Christ to “inherit the kingdom of God”:

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Here is Strong's definition for the second 'ad' in the phrase "ad olam ad": 

H5703
עַד
‛ad
ad
From H5710; properly a (peremptory) terminus, that is, (by implication) duration, in the sense of perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition): - eternity, ever (-lasting, -more), old, perpetually, + world without end.

Who but a spiritual harlot can make a word defined as "a terminus", 'an end', into "(by implication) duration, in the sense of perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition): - eternity, ever (-lasting, -more), old, perpetually, + world without end"???

The first 'ad' H5704, means "until". 'Olam'^H5769, is defined as "properly concealed... time out of mind". The second 'ad'^H5703, is defined as "properly a terminus", so that a literal translation of Isaiah 45:17 would be:

Isa 45:17 'But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an age lasting ['olam'^H5769] salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded [until, 'ad'^H5704]  [time concealed... time out of mind, 'olam'^H5769] [a terminus,'ad'^H5703]'.

But languages do not translate literally word for word, and must be made to express the thought being delivered which is:

'Israel shall be saved with an age lasting [olam] salvation; ye shall not be ashamed until ['ad'^H5704] the age [olam^H5769] ends ['ad'^H5703]'.

Then we are given the reason why this will be so:

Isa 45:18  For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD ; and there is none else.

The Lord who created the heaven and formed the earth will have no trouble delivering His people from the destruction and death they are facing. He did not call us and choose us to lose us. He is our righteousness, and He will do what He has appointed for us. Our salvation is not on our shoulders. It is all His work, and He who has begun a good work in us will finish it:

Jer 23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jer 33:16  In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

Jer 51:10  The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. 

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him. 

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you; will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

The words in this verse... "He created it not in vain" are used by those who know nothing of the Hebrew Qal stem to prove the false "gap theory" doctrine which teaches there are millions or perhaps even billions of years between verse 1 and verse 2 of the first chapter of Genesis. The argument is that the Hebrew word 'hayah', translated as 'was' in Genesis 1:2, should have been translated as 'became' instead of 'was'.

Here is that verse of scripture along with verse one:

Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2  And the earth was [Hebrew: hayah^H1961] without form [Hebrew: tohu^H8414], and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 

The word 'vain' here in Isaiah 45:18 is translated from the Hebrew word 'tohu'^H8414. It is the same Hebrew word translated as "without form" in Genesis 1:2.

If the gap theory were true and 'hayah' were translated as 'became', then there might indeed have been a gap of millions or even billions of years between verses one and verse two.

However, let's consider whether 'hayah' should be translated as 'became'? Let's look at the very next time this word appears in scripture. It is in:

Gen 2:25  And they were [hayah^H1961] both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 

Will anyone argue that Adam and Eve 'became' naked over millions or even billions of years? How absurd!

Now let's take note of one more entry of this Hebrew word 'hayah'. It appears in:

Exo 3:13  And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exo 3:14  And God said unto Moses, I AM [Hebrew: hayah^H1961] THAT I AM [hayah^H1961]: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM [hayah^H1961] hath sent me unto you.  

No one contends that "I AM hath sent me unto you" should be translated 'Became hath sent me unto you'.

So when we read in Isaiah 45:18 that the earth was not created in tohu, we must understand that both verses, Isa 45:18 and Gen 1:2, are in the Qal form and are simple statements of fact without regard to tense. In other words, in Genesis 1:2 we are being told that the world is in the process of being made to be inhabited, and being 'tohu', being "without form" is just the first step in the process of that six day creation (Exo 20:11). It is all designed to be a type of how the Lord works with us and how He drags us out of the darkness of our sin and shame and into His marvelous light (2Cor 4:6).

Just as the Lord speaks of us as a lump of clay, which He is in the process of forming and "conforming to the image of His Son" (Rom 8:29), Genesis 1:2 is saying the same thing in the physical realm. The earth did not 'become without form' after millions or billions of years, rather 'without form', 'tohu', is how "marred" it was when the Lord began His work of forming it into a planet which could "be inhabited". The description of the details of the creation of the earth is but a type of what the Lord is now doing with mankind, who are all taken out of the earth. That is why He uses these words when speaking of how He is dealing with us:

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. 

So, let us 'let the Lord be true and every man who contradicts Him a liar' (Rom 3:4). This is the Truth about the earth's creation and anything contrary is a lie:

Exo 20:11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

In this 18th verse of Isaiah 45, both of the phrases, "He formed it", and the phrase "to be inhabited", are in the Qal stem, meaning the tense is not even under consideration, and we are simply being informed of the details of the process through which the Lord is working with His 'earth', His creatures whom He will "inhabit":

Isa 45:18  For thus saith^{H559 [H8804, Qal]} the LORD^H3068 that created^{H1254 [H8802, Qal]} the heavens^H8064; God^H430 himself that formed^{H3335 [H8802, Qal]} the earth^H776 and made^{H6213 [H8802, Qal]} it; he hath established^{H3559 [H8790]} it, he created^{H1254 [H8804, Qal]} it not in vain^H8414, He formed ^{H3335 [H8804, Qal form, Perfect mood]} it to be inhabited^{H3427 [H8800, Qal form, Infinitive mood]}: I am the LORD^H3068; and there is none else. 

The Lord did not need millions or billions of years to do His work. Beside the very clear words of Exodus 20:11, this is what we are told of the time required to bring the temporal physical realm into existence:

Isa 48:3  I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly ['pithom'^H6597], and they came to pass. 

This Hebrew word 'pithom' appears 25 times in the Old Testament and in every case,  it indicates something that had to take place very quickly. 

Here is just one example:

Jos 11:7  So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. 

The Lord spoke the earth and all the physical realm into existence. It happened "suddenly", as suddenly as six "evenings and mornings" (Gen 1). The crowning achievement of His creation was taking mankind out of the earth and breathing into him the breath of life. That is why we are told:

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

Those who teach a gap theory declare that the millions or billions of years between verses one and two simply serve to glorify God. Not true! No one is glorified by taking millions or billions of years to finish a job. The opposite of what they teach is true. God is glorified when 'the words go forth out of His mouth and things happen suddenly' (Isa 48:3). Those who push the false gap theory give absolutely no thought to the fact that in Genesis 1:2 we are simply being given the details of the creation process, which includes bringing order out of chaos and light out of darkness.

Young's Literal Translation catches the proper tense and tone of Genesis 1:1-2:

Gen 1:1  In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth--
Gen 1:2  the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness is on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters, (YLT)

The word from which the word 'existed' is translated is the Hebrew word 'hayah'. The King James says... 'The earth was, ['hayah'] without form ['tohu'] and void". It had to begin in that way because that is the way God deliberately first forms us, 'the earth'. We are all first formed in darkness so He can call light out of darkness, as an integral part of the process of His creation. It had to be so to serve as a type of what the Lord is doing within His creatures, beginning with His elect:

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 

The Lord is not the least bit bashful about His sovereign power over all the very dark and evil kingdoms of this world. 

Isa 45:19  I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

The basest and most evil men are the work of His hands. We cannot so much as take credit for our own sins, and indeed that is what the scriptures teach:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 

Remember verse 7 of this very chapter:

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 

What this means is that though we will give an accounting, we are not responsible for any of our shameful, wicked sins as the Lord so clearly states:

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

Our salvation and our apostasy are all in His hands:

Eze 14:9  And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Eze 14:10  And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him; 

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

It is as natural as breathing to rebel against this Truth and to declare that we are free to choose whether to obey the Lord or not. That is the doctrine of the whole world and all the nations of this world. That is the one thing every nation on earth agrees upon, and can come together agreeing upon, and that is the very spirit which we must "come out of", and from which we must separate ourselves.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

When we come out of Babylon we are told:

Isa 45:20  Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. 

Inwardly we must come out of this world, and we must renounce all the idols of our hearts to which we have been so subservient in the past. It is our false doctrines, called "idols of the heart" (Eze 14:1-9), which we must renounce and reject and replace with the doctrines and teachings of Christ. The Lord alone is "The Truth", and He is the only way to come to His Father (Joh 14:6).

Isa 45:21  Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Isa 45:22  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 

This is Christ speaking for His Father. They are ‘one’ in the same sense that we are one with Christ, and it is Christ who tells us:

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Just as mankind had no say at all in being made a vessel that was "marred in the Potter's hand... dying in Adam" (Jer 18:4 and 1Co 15:22), so also the Lord has declared that all in Adam will be "made alive... in Christ" (1Co 15:22). Isaiah repeats that declaration:

Isa 45:23  I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Isa 45:24  Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. 

It appears the Lord wants us to know and acknowledge that everything ever done is His work for our sakes as He says earlier in this chapter:

Isa 45:4  For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Isa 45:5  I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

These are the words which have gone forth out of His mouth. 'Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the father':

Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 

Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

But this grand goal will only be accomplished through "the Israel of God" which is who we are if Christ abides within us. We just quoted verse 4 of this very chapter, but let's read it again:

Isa 45:4  For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

These words are as applicable to "the Israel of God" today as they were to Cyrus when they were first written 200 years before Cyrus was born. The Lord has known who is and who is not His "very elect" from "before the world began":

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; 

Those who know Christ are Abraham's true seed and heirs according to the promise, and the promise is life in the kingdom of God as kings and priests:

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

It was revealed to Isaiah that his prophecy was not for himself but was for us:

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Before we read our last verse, let’s take note that outward physical  'Israel' is no longer His chosen people in the eyes of God:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. 

It is the "inward... Jew" who will be the kings and priests who will be used of God to show mercy upon all those who do not know Christ "in this present time". It is through their mercy that all the rest of mankind will be shown mercy, including the physical nation of Israel:

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 

Gal 6:15  Certainly, it doesn't matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.
Gal 6:16  Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God. (GWV)

Now we know who are the "mine elect" of verse 4 and who are "the seed of Israel... the Israel of God" to whom our last verse applies:

Isa 45:25  In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. 

We have nothing in which to glory in the flesh, but we have everything in which to glory in the Lord.

Here are the very comforting words of our next study:

Isa 46:1  The god Bel bows down; the god Nebo stoops low. Their statues are seated on animals and cattle. The gods that you carry are burdens, a load for weary people.
Isa 46:2  These gods stoop low and bow down together. They aren't able to escape with heavy loads. They go away into captivity.
Isa 46:3  Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, the few people left of the nation of Israel. I've carried you since your birth. I've taken care of you from the time you were born.
Isa 46:4  Even when you're old, I'll take care of you. Even when your hair turns gray, I'll support you. I made you and will continue to care for you. I'll support you and save you.
Isa 46:5  To whom will you compare me and make me equal? To whom will you compare me so that we can be alike?