1 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! 3 For thus says the LORD: “You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money.” Isaiah 52:1–3 (NKJV) 

1 Awake! Awake, O Zion! Put on your strength, O Zion, and you, Jerusalem, put on your glory, holy city. The uncircumcised and the unclean will not pass through you any longer. 2 Shake off the dust and arise! Sit, Jerusalem! Release the chain from your neck, captive daughter of Zion. 3 Because this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and you will be redeemed without silver.” Isaiah 52:1–3 (LES2) 

The LXX commands Jerusalem to put on her glory, as opposed to the MT’s “garments.” If garments are taken to mean the righteousness of Christ, the meaning is essentially the same. Instead of saying the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer come to you, the LXX says they will pass through you no longer. Christ calls sinner to come to him and be saved and transformed. When they leave him they are not the same.

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (NKJV) 

Jesus would never tell the unsaved to stay away.

31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5:31–32 (NKJV) 

However, it is true that the unsaved cannot find salvation in old covenant Judaism or the Law. It is only available in Christ. Therefore, sinners will not be drawn to old covenant Israel. Those who are drawn to her are bewitched by legalism. (Galatians 3:1)

The MT says that Jerusalem sold herself, but the LXX says she was sold, presumably by God, as a consequence for her sins. (Isaiah 50:1)

4 For thus says the Lord GOD: “My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here,” says the LORD, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the LORD, “And My name is blasphemed continually every day. Isaiah 52:4–5 (NKJV) 

4 This is what the lord Lord says: “Formerly my people went down into Egypt to dwell there, and they were led to the Assyrians by force, 5 and now why are you here?” This is what the Lord says: “Because my people were taken for nothing, be impressed and wail.” This is what the Lord says: “Because of you my name is always blasphemed among the nations. Isaiah 52:4–5 (LES2) 

There is a big difference between the Assyrians oppressing the Jews without cause and being led them to them by force. I am not quite sure what to make of this. The unsuccessful Assyrian attack upon Jerusalem during Isaiah’s lifetime was in 701 BC. The northern kingdom was defeated and led into captivity before Isaiah’s lifetime. Perhaps that is the reference.

The captivity in Egypt was part of God’s plan to eventually bring them out as a special nation called by God. The later captivities with regard to Assyria and Babylon were due to Israel’s sinful rebellion against God, because of which God’s name was being continually blasphemed among the nations. The MT omits the direct blame on the Jews for this blasphemy. Paul quoted verse 5 as it is written in the LXX.

23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written. Romans 2:23–24 (NKJV) 

The way the MT handles this verse is in keeping with other places where it seems to understate Israel’s sin.

6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.’ ” 7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:6–7 (NKJV) 

6 Because of this, my people will know my name in that day, that I myself am the one who speaks. I am present 7 as an hour upon the mountains, as the feet of one who brings the good news of peace, as the one who brings the good news of good things; for I will make your salvation heard, saying, ‘O Zion, your God will reign!’ ” Isaiah 52:6–7 (LES2) 

The only name under heaven whereby we may be saved is the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:12) That day refers to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus the Lord, who liberates sinners from the tyranny of the devil, sin, disease, and death. It could also refer to the day of his resurrection. I believe that verses 6 and 7 refer to Christ bringing the good news of salvation at God’s appointed hour or time, which was beautiful in so many ways. 

11 All things which he made were beautiful in his season… Ecclesiastes 3:11a (LES2) 

When Christ was born at God’s appointed time, the angel announced to the shepherds.

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10–11 (NKJV) 

God’s salvation in Christ has been heard all over the world through Christian evangelists who announce the reign of Christ the Lord. Paul interprets this passage to apply to them.

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” Romans 10:14–16 (NKJV) 

This shows that the Holy Spirit intends for us to apply this passage from Isaiah to Christ and his church. Paul segued into the opening verse of Isaiah 53 at the end of the above passage, which confirms we are not taking this passage out of context.

8 Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the LORD brings back Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God. Isaiah 52:8–10 (NKJV) 

8 For the voice of those who guard you will be lifted up, and with their voice they will be cheerful together, for eyes will look to eyes, when the Lord shows mercy to Zion. 9 Let the deserted places of Jerusalem break forth together with cheer, because the Lord has shown mercy to her and has rescued Jerusalem. 10 The Lord will reveal his holy arm before all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation that is from our God. Isaiah 52:8–10 (LES2) 

The mercy God ultimately showed to Zion was by sending the Messiah and Savior, Jesus. He would have rescued Jerusalem, but the Jews, for the most part, rejected their Messiah, bringing terrible judgment upon them in 70 AD.

34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ” Luke 13:34–35 (NKJV) 

As a result of the Jewish rejection of the Messiah, the door of salvation was opened even wider for the nations to avail of what Israel snubbed.

22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25 As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” 26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” 27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. 28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.” 29 And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.” 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 9:22–33 (NKJV) 

Now, some 2000 years later, the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of God in Christ. God will glorify himself in the Israel of God, the church, which is composed of both Jews and Gentiles who have confessed Christ is Lord. (Ephesians 3:21)