The Anointed One would fulfill God's ancient promises to Israel.
61:4 Those who formerly mourned in Israel because of their downtrodden and depraved conditions would rebuild their land, which others had destroyed. These destructions had come on Israel because of her sins. God predicted that the cities that opposed His people would suffer destruction and never rise again (cf. 13:19-22; 34:8-17). But the cities and land of His people, though terribly destroyed throughout history, would be rebuilt (in the Millennium).
61:5 Flocks and crops would again flourish in the Promised Land, and the Israelites would be so blessed that their former Gentile oppressors would serve even Israelite farmers.
61:6 However, the Israelites would not oppress their former oppressors. Rather than tilling the land and tending flocks the Israelites would serve in the exalted position of being priests of Yahweh. They would mediate between God and the Gentiles. As the priests in Israel lived off the contributions of their fellow Israelites in the past, so all the Israelites would live off the contributions of the Gentiles in the future. The nation would finally become the kingdom of priests that God intended it to be (cf. Exod. 19:6; Deut. 33:10).
61:7 Instead of the shame that Israel suffered formerly because of God's judgments on her, she would enjoy the double portion of blessing bestowed on the favored firstborn son in Israelite society (cf. Deut. 21:17). As God's firstborn son, Israel would enter into her promised bountiful and joyful inheritance (Exod. 4:22).
61:8 Israel could count on these promises because of who Yahweh is: a lover of justice (faithful to His promises to Israel) and a hater of iniquitous robbery (Israel's enemies taking what did not belong to them). God would give Israel her inheritance and would make a new, everlasting covenant with her (cf. 49:8; 55:5; Jer. 31:31; 32:40; Ezek. 16:60; 37:25-26; Mal. 3:1-2; Matt. 26:27-28; Heb. 9:11-22; 13:20).
61:9 The physical seed of Abraham would continue to exist and to be identifiable as Israel, as God promised the patriarch and his descendants (Gen. 12:1-3). Furthermore, Israel would be a witness to the rest of the earth's population. Thus all the earth would be able to worship and praise Yahweh.
61:10 Isaiah now spoke for Zion that rejoiced in the Lord for the gifts that He would give her in the future. Yahweh will have clothed her in garments of salvation and wrapped her in a robe of righteousness, like a bride for her wedding day. Salvation is unto righteousness. Israel's joy in that day (the Millennium) will be like that of a bride on her wedding day adorned with a turban and jewels.
61:11 Finally the harvest of righteousness that the Lord planted in Israel, when He redeemed her by the Servant's work, would come to fruition (cf. 55:10-11). With that righteousness will come praise not only from Israel but from the whole earth.
