The Branch of the LORD

PROPHECIES OF the coming Messiah are woven throughout the Book of Isaiah. The one we encounter in this week’s study, chapter 4 of Isaiah, is not as well known as the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1 (“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit”), but the reference to “the Branch” (Hebrew tsemach) is also found in Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15, and Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12. The rest of this week’s study is a sharp contrast to the prophecy of a savior who will restore “the survivors of Israel.” Isaiah 3:1–4:1 and 5:1–30 is a prophecy of God’s judgment the people of Judah for their failure to meet His standards. This week’s questions: How do we defend a futurist view of prophecy? Did Satan persuade the fallen Watchers (the sons of God from Genesis 6:1–4) to rebel? And what Bible commentary do we recommend?