59:20
“The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins.” There has always been great debate in the church over the current place of Israel in God’s plans. There are those who say that the nation of Israel no longer has any special place in God’s plans (sometimes called replacement theology, with the church completely taking over the role of Israel), and at the other extreme those who see Israel as being separate from the church and operating under different rules, sometimes this goes under the name of “dual-covenant theology”. I’ll be quite blunt and say that I think both extremes are unbiblical nonsense, especially the latter. This verse sums things up nicely. The Lord will restore Zion, but it applies to those who repent. Israel does still have a place in God’s plans, but it is only by repenting and believing that Israel will find her true place in God’s plans. She is saved by the same gospel we are all saved by (see Eph 2).
59:21
We now get a statement of the covenant that God makes with them. Note that it is God who sets the terms of the covenant, not man. God’s Spirit will be on His people, and will remain on them. Remember that this is limited to those who repent. And His words that He puts on their lips will remain forever. This all starts with Jesus. Remember that Jesus insisted on being baptised, even though John the Baptist knew full well that there was no sin in Jesus. And the gospel preached by Jesus remains the same.
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