30:27-28 Behold, Jehovah Omnipotent coming from afar! His wrath is kindled, heavy is his grievance; his lips flow with indignation, his tongue is like a devouring fire. His breath is like a raging torrent that severs at the neck. [He comes] to sift the nations in the sieve of falsehood; with an erring bridle on their jaws [he will try] the peoples.
Because Jehovah's coming "from afar" is preceded by the king of Assyria/Babylon's coming "from afar" (Isaiah 5:26; 10:3; 13:5), one event is inextricably linked to the other, implementing Jehovah's deliverance and destruction. While the righteous receive Jehovah their God, the wicked get a false god (Isaiah 10:12-14; 14:13-14; 37:23-35). Personifying Jehovah's wrath, grievance, lips, indignation, tongue, fire, breath, etc., the archtyrant cleanses the earth before Jehovah comes. As a new Flood, he desolates all except Jehovah's people affiliated with Zion and Jerusalem (Isaiah 8:7-8; 10:28-32; 36-37).
[He comes] to sift the nations in the sieve of falsehood; with an erring bridle on their jaws [he will try] the peoples. In the interim before he comes, Jehovah lets all kinds of untruths prevail among his people and the nations to test their loyalties. Persons who keep his law and word-the terms of his covenant-intuitively know and accept the truth, while those who wallow in sin can't perceive it and stumble. People conditioned to deceiving themselves (Isaiah 28:15; 44:18-20; 59:3-4) fall prey to the deceptions of the archtyrant (Isaiah 10:7; 21:2; 33:1, 7-8)-the sieve of lies and bridle of error.
30:29 But for you there shall be singing, as on the night when a festival commences, and rejoicing of heart, as when men march with flutes [and drums and lyres] on their way to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel.
A great reversal of circumstances between the righteous and the wicked transforms both in Jehovah's Day of Judgment. Even as the wicked perish, his elect participate in a new exodus to Zion: "I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, 'Give up!' to the south, 'Withhold not! Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth-all who are called by my name, whom I have formed, molded and wrought for my own glory'" (Isaiah 43:5-7); "Many peoples shall go, saying, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah'" (Isaiah 2:3);
"I will lift up my hand to the nations, raise my ensign to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in their bosoms and carry your daughters on their shoulders" (Isaiah 49:22); "Nations will come to your light, their kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you! They have all assembled to come to you: your sons shall arrive from afar; your daughters shall return to your side" (Isaiah 60:3-4). A joy-filled occasion for Jehovah's elect, the new exodus resembles Israel's ancient pilgrimage to Jerusalem to pay homage to Jehovah, the Rock of their salvation (Isaiah 26:4; 27:13).
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