Isaiah 63 - Bible Study in 5 Minutes

Isaiah 63 Short Summary:

Isaiah 63 begins with a description of God or perhaps His Messiah (Jesus), dressed in a red robe, stained with blood, having just returned from crushing His enemies in the wine press of His wrath. The second half of the chapter is a prayer offered by Isaiah. He acknowledged God’s faithfulness to Judah and plead with the Lord to show grace to the exiles of Judah in Babylon.

Isaiah 63 Bible Study

TIMELINE:

• The prophetic ministry of Isaiah spanned the reigns of King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

• Isaiah’s ministry is thought to span from 739-681 BC.

• Judah was taken into Babylonian captivity between 607-586 BC. The captivity and exile of the people was progressive, spanning about 30 years.

KEY CHARACTERS:

• Isaiah – The son of Amoz (1:1). God commissioned Isaiah as His prophet to Judah.

• The People of Judah – Isaiah speaks prophetically, offering a prayer to God for the exiled people of Judah who found themselves in Babylonian captivity.

• Edom – The Edomites were previously called out by God in Isaiah 34 for their evil. They were neighbors and relatives of the people of Judah, but they had long been adversaries. Edom appears to be used in Isaiah 63 as a stand-in for all of Judah’s enemies.

DEFINITIONS:

• Crimson (63:1) – A deep rich red color.

• Wine Press (63:2) – Harvested grapes were put into a large container and people would smash them with their feet to extract the juice.

OUTLINE:

• THE MAN OF STRENGH COMES UP FROM THE WINEPRESS (63:1-6):

  • Isaiah describes a man coming from Edom in crimson garments “marching in the greatness of his strength” (63:1).

  • The man declared that he spoke words of righteousness and was “mighty to save.”

  • His clothing was red because he had been in a wine press. Not a winepress full of grapes, but one filled with wicked people and wicked nations.

  • The man said he had smashed the wicked in the press, and their blood colored his clothing.

  • It was the day of his vengeance.

  • He said, “I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth” (63:6).

  • This man appears to represent God, or His Messiah, returning to Judah after taking vengeance on the people of the earth who opposed His will.

• ISAIAH RECALLS GOD’S CONSTANT CARE FOR JUDAH (63:7-14):

  • Isaiah recalled God’s care for His people throughout their history.

  • God was with them when they came out of Egypt, when they crossed the Red Sea, when they wandered in the wilderness, and He carried them “all the days of old” (63:9).

  • God’s love was steadfast and His goodness towards Judah was great. He never abandoned them because they were His children. He gave them His Holy Spirit and through them He made His name great.

• ISAIAH ASKS HIS FATHER FOR COMPASSION (63:15-19):

  • Isaiah prayed to God and asked Him to look down with compassion on His nation.

  • He prayed prophetically with the voice of exiled Judah, asking God to rouse Himself in zeal and power to once again save His people.

  • Their humiliation was so great it was as if they had never been God’s children.

  • God’s Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed, and they had been ripped out of the Promised Land.

  • Isaiah acknowledged their relationship with God and asked for His help, saying, “You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name” (63:17).

APPLICATION:

• This chapter gives us another good example of why the prophets are essential reading for anyone looking to understand the Book of Revelation.

• There are definitely some parallels between the man described at the opening of Isaiah 63 and Jesus, riding on a white horse in Revelation. Revelations 19 depicts Jesus making war on evil nations, wearing a robe dipped in blood, and treading the “winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Rev 19:15).

• Revelation 19:11-15 - Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 

• I know it’s tempting to skip to Revelation without putting in the time in the prophets, but if you’re serious about understanding Revelation properly and being able to discern your way through all the wrong interpretations that are out there, you MUST study the prophets.