In Isaiah 3 the women were walking in a spirit of harlotry. They were carnal and sensual. They wanted to call attention to their physical characteristics, and not to morality. In this chapter we see a change that comes about because of judgment.

Verse 1: “Seven women will seize one man, on that day, saying: ‘Our bread we will eat and our own clothes we will wear, only let your name be called upon us to take away our reproach.”

Seven: The number of holiness, sanctification and the purposes of God. 

One: This is a number that often refers to God. There is a hint in this verse that this is referring to a man of God, someone who submits to Biblical instruction.

Seven women will seize one man: This is an example of repentance. They are turning away from their own paths, desires etc and are embracing the purposes of God. When Israel sees the judgment of God it is going to bring about repentance.

Let your name be called upon us: This speaks of a marital covenant. What God is saying here, through the prophet Isaiah, is that a day is coming when Israel will have a change in her spiritual condition. They will turn away from living in rebellion and they will embrace the
purposes of God. They will want a different reputation, a different testimony.

Verse 2: “In that day, the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious. And the fruit of the land will be for majesty and splendour for those of Israel who have escaped.”

In that day: This is a hermeneutical clue that this phrase ties this verse back to Isaiah 4:1. There is a connection between these verses.

Branch of the Lord: This is one of the names of Messiah (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Jeremiah 33:14-18, Zechariah 3:8)

Beautiful and glorious: This is a description, a prophetic revealing, of the Kingdom of God. The words used here are words that are usually used to refer to the beauty and splendour of the land of Israel (e.g Daniel 8:9). However, in this verse they are being used in
relationship with Messiah. Proper hermeneutical methodology would cause us to draw the conclusion that there is a close relationship between Messiah (Christ) and the land of Israel. What we can infer from that is that the character of Messiah (His beauty, His glory) is going to transform the land of Israel so that the land itself will manifest His character, His beauty, His glory.

Those of Israel who have escaped: See Joel 2:32 Escaped: They are survivors, refugees.

Verse 3: “And it shall come about that those who remain in Zion and those who are left over in Jerusalem will be called holy – all the ones who are written for life in Jerusalem.”

Those who remain: Before the wrath of God falls, the church (who is not going to experience the wrath of God – 1 Thessalonians 5:9) is going to be raptured – experience their blessed hope (Titus 2:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The rapture and the second coming of Messiah are two separate events (they even have different signs that announce them). The believers, who are raptured before the second coming of Messiah, return with Messiah for His second coming (1 Thessalonians 3:13). When the believers are raptured unbelievers are left behind. A remnant, of these unbelievers, is going to come to faith in this period of time after the rapture, in this period when the wrath of God falls on the earth (from Revelation 8 onwards).

Those who are left over in Jerusalem: This is not speaking symbolically about the church but is speaking about those people who are literally left over in Jerusalem – Jerusalem is a real city, in a real land and God still has a plan for it.

Holy: The minute we believe and are saved we are called ‘holy’(Hebrews 3:1, 1 Peter 2:9-10). It is interesting to note that this is taking place in the last days. People are coming to faith (Zechariah 13:1-2, Zechariah 13:8-9). Messiah’s work, in the last days (once the time of
the Gentiles has ended and the church has been raptured – Luke 21:24) is to deliver Israel and show His faithfulness to the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16).

Written: Inscribed. People are only inscribed in the book of life by faith in the blood of the Lamb – through the redemptive work of Messiah Yeshua (Exodus 32:32-33, Daniel 12:1, Luke 10:20, Phillipians 4:3, Revelation 20:15).

Verse 4: “If the Lord washes the filth of the daughters of Zion, and the blood guilt from Jerusalem He cleanses – with the spirit of judgment and with the spirit of burning.”

If: This is not the word ‘when’. It is a word that foreshadows a specific outcome (if this…then that…). We can however understand it to mean ‘when,’ as it is something that God is going to do…it is just a matter of time.

Filth: Something very, very dirty. A word also related to human waste.

Washes…cleanses: If God does this there is going to be an outcome. We should anticipate God doing this because He’s promised to do so.

Spirit: This word carries with it a sense of order.

Spirit of judgment: It is judgment that is going to bring about the order of God.

Spirit of burning: Burning destroys all those things that are unclean.