At His return Christ will be raised up as a standard for the gathering of Jehovah’s scattered people (62:10). At that time, the children of Israel will return. They will see a sign, the raised standard, for their gathering together. Christ, the Anointed of Jehovah, will be the gathering standard.
Isaiah 52:8 says that Jehovah will restore Zion, and 62:6-9 says that Jerusalem will be established and made a praise in the earth.
God promised to restore the city of Zion and its people. Afterward, the city will be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city (1:26). Zion will be ransomed with justice, and her returning ones with righteousness (v. 27). The children of Israel fell into a chaotic situation because they gave up justice and righteousness. However, God’s restoration will bring them back to their initial condition.
Verse 3 of chapter 4 says, “He who is left over in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been written down in Jerusalem for life.” This indicates that there will be a book of life, in which names are written.
According to verse 5, Jehovah will create over the entire region of Mount Zion and over all her convocations a cloud of smoke by day and the brightness of a fiery flame by night to be a canopy of His divine glory over all His interests on the earth. This refers to the God-man, Christ, who as the great canopy will cover Zion and the children of Israel. This is similar to the pillar of smoke and the pillar of fire that went with the children of Israel in the wilderness. Furthermore, in the restoration of Israel, God will provide them with a tabernacle for a shade in the daytime from the heat and for a refuge and a cover from the storm and rain (v. 6).
In the restoration all the earth will be under the teaching of Israel. “Many peoples will come and say, / Come and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, / To the house of the God of Jacob, / That He may instruct us in His ways, / And that we may walk in His paths. / For from Zion will go forth instruction, / And the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem” (2:3).
Furthermore, according to Isaiah 61:4-9 and Zechariah 8:20-23, during the millennium, the thousand-year kingdom, the restored Israel will be priests. In the millennium there will be both an earthly part and a heavenly part referred to as the priesthood. The restored nation of Israel will be the priests in the earthly part, and the overcoming believers in Christ will be the priests in the heavenly part. By this priesthood all the peoples on earth will be taught and instructed.
Isaiah also prophesied, “Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; / Your eyes will see Jerusalem, / A secure habitation, a tent that will not be removed; / Its stakes will never be pulled up, / And none of its cords will be torn apart” (33:20). The inhabitant will not say, “I am sick,” and the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity (v. 24).
In the restoration the righteousness of Zion will go forth like brightness, and her salvation like a burning torch as God’s crown of beauty and delight (62:1-5). During the restoration, righteousness will be dispensed and transfused into the Jews; therefore, their righteousness will go forth like brightness. Their salvation will also be like a burning torch as God’s crown of beauty and delight. God will be beautified by and will be happy and satisfied with what Israel will shine forth.
Salvation will come to the daughter of Zion, and the people will be called the holy people, the redeemed of Jehovah (vv. 10-12).
In the day of the restoration the God-man, Christ, as the divine shoot of Jehovah, will be beauty and glory to Israel, and as the fruit of the earth, the human seed, He will be excellence and splendor to them (4:2). In the coming restoration the all-inclusive Christ will be beauty and glory in His divinity to the children of Israel. He will also be their excellence and splendor in His humanity that expresses the beauty and glory of His divinity. The children of Israel will manifest and express the all-inclusive Christ.