Message Three

Christ as the Servant of Jehovah
Typified by Cyrus the King of Persia, Israel, and Isaiah

Scripture Reading: Isa. 41:2, 25; 45:13, 1; 48:14; 46:11; 44:28; 41:8-16; 42:1; 43:10; 44:1-5, 21; 46:13; 48:16; 49:1-4; 50:4-9

1. In Isaiah 41 through 66 Christ is revealed as the Servant of Jehovah:
   1. In the book of Isaiah Christ as the Servant of Jehovah is typified by three persons—by a Gentile king, Cyrus the king of Persia; by God’s chosen corporate people, Israel; and by the prophet Isaiah; all three were God’s servants in the sense of a type.
   2. Cyrus, Israel, and Isaiah all did the same thing to please God by serving to release God’s people, to build up God’s house, the temple, and to build up God’s kingdom, signified by the city of Jerusalem; thus, they all typify Christ as God’s Servant—Luke 4:18-21; Matt. 16:18-19.
   3. All who are in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30) and who are thus one with Christ to release God’s people and to build up His house and His kingdom are servants of God; those who are one with Christ have become a great corporate Christ (12:12; Col. 3:10-11), the same as the individual Christ in being the testimony and servant of God:
      1. We need to be one with Christ to release God’s people from the captivity of Satan back to the enjoyment of God as their possession; our preaching of the gospel is to release these captives to make them the sons of God, the members of Christ, and the constituents of the new man—Isa. 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-21; Matt. 12:28-29; Gal. 3:26; Rom. 12:4-5; Col. 3:10-11.
      2. We need to be one with Christ to release God’s people from Babylon (apostate Christendom) and the principle of Babylon; anything that is Babylonian gives Satan the ground to defeat the people of God—Isa. 48:20; 41:21-29; Rev. 17:3-5; Josh. 7:21.
      3. We need to be one with Christ to build up the church as God’s temple and as God’s kingdom—Eph. 2:21-22; Matt. 16:18-19, 24; 1 Cor. 14:4b; Rom. 14:17-18.
2. Christ as the Servant of Jehovah is typified by Cyrus the king of Persia—Isa. 41:2, 25; 45:13, 1; 48:14; 46:11; 44:28:
   1. Cyrus was raised up by Jehovah (41:2a, 25a; 45:13a; Acts 3:26a), anointed by Jehovah (Isa. 45:1a; Luke 4:18a), and loved by Jehovah (Isa. 48:14b; Matt. 3:17).
   2. He did God’s pleasure on Babylon (Isa. 48:14; 46:11), symbolizing the Roman Catholic Church (Rev. 17:3-5).
   3. He was God’s counselor (Isa. 46:11b) to subdue the nations and have dominion over the kings (41:2b, 25; 45:1b; Ezra 1:2a; Acts 5:31; Rev. 1:5a).
   4. As Jehovah’s shepherd, Cyrus fulfilled the desires of Jehovah—Isa. 44:28:
      1. Cyrus served God by defeating Babylon, God’s enemy (48:14), which had captured His people and destroyed the temple (2 Kings 24—25), by declaring the release of Israel from captivity, and by issuing a decree allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem (Isa. 45:13; Ezra 1:2-3).
      2. These three things are types, signifying Christ’s defeating Satan (Heb. 2:14), releasing His believers from Satan’s captivity (Luke 4:18; Eph. 4:8), and building up the church as God’s temple (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:21).
      3. In subduing Babylon and releasing the captives of Israel, and in charging Israel and supporting them to build up the temple and the city of their God (Ezra 1), Cyrus did God’s pleasure—Isa. 48:14:
         1. God loves Israel, loves His kingdom, signified by the city of Jerusalem, and loves His house, signified by the temple.
         2. It was a matter of love for God to use a Gentile king to do what was in His heart; thus, God loved Cyrus—v. 14.
3. Christ as the Servant of Jehovah is typified by Israel—41:8-16; 42:1; 43:10; 44:1-5, 21; 49:3; 46:13:
   1. Israel typifies Christ for the carrying out of the kind word of comfort spoken by Jehovah—40:1-2.
   2. Israel was chosen by Jehovah and upheld with the right hand of His righteousness—41:10.
   3. Israel overcame the enemies by Jehovah and rejoiced and gloried in Him, the Holy One of Israel—vv. 8-16; 42:1a; Rom. 8:37; 1 Thes. 2:19-20.
   4. Israel was the witness of Jehovah—Isa. 43:10; Rev. 1:5a; 3:14; Acts 1:8.
   5. The Spirit of Jehovah was poured out on Israel for the blessing of his offspring—Isa. 44:1-5, 21; Matt. 3:16; Luke 4:18-19.
   6. Jehovah was glorified in Israel—Isa. 43:7; 49:3; 46:13b; John 17:1; 12:28:
      1. Israel is God’s servant in the sense of fulfilling God’s desire in His economy to have a corporate expression of Himself for His glory—Isa. 43:7:
         1. The people of Israel were to be used by God to express Him in a corporate way.
         2. In this sense Israel was one with Christ as God’s servant—41:8; 45:4; 49:3; Hosea 11:1; cf. Matt. 2:15.
         3. The servant of Jehovah is corporate, and Israel was part of this corporate servant—Isa. 41:8.
      2. In the present age the church, as the testimony of God, serves God for the expression of God, the glory of God—Rev. 1:2; Eph. 3:21; Gal. 6:16.
      3. The glorification of God is the purpose of our service; the highest service we can render to God is to express Him in His glory—Eph. 1:23; 1 Cor. 10:31.
4. Christ as the Servant of Jehovah is typified by the prophet Isaiah—Isa. 48:16; 49:1-4; 50:4-9:
   1. Isaiah typifies Christ as the Servant of Jehovah (Mark 10:45) for God’s speaking (Deut. 18:15; John 3:34; 14:24):
      1. Isaiah served God as His mouthpiece to speak forth His word, which is the embodiment of Himself—Isa. 49:1-4.
      2. Isaiah’s prophesying helped in the release of Israel and the rebuilding of the temple and the city.
   2. In verse 4 Isaiah typifies Christ:
      1. People judged Christ wrongly, thinking that His word was nothing and in vain; however, Christ was assured that the justice due to Him would come from God—1 Pet. 2:23.
      2. God values Christ’s word (cf. Matt. 24:35) and will reward Him for His speaking.
   3. Isaiah 50:4-5 speaks of the instruction received by Isaiah as a servant of Jehovah; thus, Isaiah typifies Christ in his receiving instructions from God.
   4. In the life he lived, Isaiah was a type of Christ:
      1. Isaiah 50:6-9 reveals the life lived by Isaiah as a servant of Jehovah.
      2. These verses describe the life lived by the Lord Jesus on earth—Matt. 26:67; 1 Pet. 2:23.