4 “In that day it shall come to pass That the glory of Jacob will wane, And the fatness of his flesh grow lean. 5 It shall be as when the harvester gathers the grain, And reaps the heads with his arm; It shall be as he who gathers heads of grain In the Valley of Rephaim. Isaiah 17:4–5 (NKJV)

4 This is what the Lord Sabaoth says: “In that day there will be a failing of the glory of Jacob, and the richness of his glory will be shaken. 5 And it will be just as if someone gathered a standing crop and reaped grain seed; and it will be just as if someone gathered grain in a solid ravine, Isaiah 17:4–5 (LES2)

The MT leaves out “This is what the Lord Sabaoth (of hosts) says.” Then the MT says “the glory of Jacob will wane,” but the LXX literally says it will be “eclipsed.”An eclipse is caused, as we understand it, by something or someone (Jesus) coming in front of another so that what is behind can no longer be seen or shine. John the Baptist’s amazing ministry waned or was eclipsed by Jesus’ arrival. Rather than be jealous, John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) This would have been Israel’s and the Jewish leaders’ proper response to the arrival of their Messiah, Jesus. Instead, they sought to remove what was causing the eclipse of their former glory.

As the LXX says, Israel will be shaken to the core after they murdered the Messiah and continued to resist the gospel. Stephen’s martyrdom marked the end of Daniel’s seven year period, which began at Jesus’ baptism by John, and the middle of which was Christ’s crucifixion. Not long afterward, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Roman army, just as Jesus prophesied. (Mark 13:2) The early church saw this as a vindication of Christ and a just punishment of those Jews who were guilty of the most heinous crime ever committed. 

14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 (NKJV)

Verse 6 must mean that after Jesus eclipses the nation of Israel, only a remnant will be left – those who accept Jesus as Lord.

6 Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it, Like the shaking of an olive tree, Two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough, Four or five in its most fruitful branches,” Says the LORD God of Israel. 7 In that day a man will look to his Maker, And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel. 8 He will not look to the altars, The work of his hands; He will not respect what his fingers have made, Nor the wooden images nor the incense altars. Isaiah 17:6–8 (NKJV)

6 and a stalk was left in it; or like the fruit of an olive tree—two or three might be left on the highest extremity, or four or five on their branches.” This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 7 “On that day a person will trust the one who made him, and his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. 8 And they will certainly not trust the altars or in the works of their hands, which their fingers made, and they will not look to the trees or their abominations. Isaiah 17:6–8 (LES2)

This passage continues the picture of only a remnant being left. Quoting Isaiah 1:9, Paul wrote:

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.” Romans 9:29 (NKJV)

Since that time, only a remnant of Jews and Gentiles have acknowledged that Jesus is Lord. These comprise the bride of Christ, the church, the one new man in Christ, the Israel of God.

9 In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch, Which they left because of the children of Israel; And there will be desolation. Isaiah 17:9 (NKJV)

9 On that day your cities will be abandoned, the way the Amorites and the Hivites abandoned from the face of the sons of Israel, and they will be deserted.” Isaiah 17:9 (LES2)

10 Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, And have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, Therefore you will plant pleasant plants And set out foreign seedlings; 11 In the day you will make your plant to grow, And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish; But the harvest will be a heap of ruins In the day of grief and desperate sorrow. Isaiah 17:10–11 (NKJV)

10 Because you abandoned God your savior and you did not remember the Lord your helper—because of this, you will plant an unfaithful plant and an unfaithful seed. 11 And on the day you plant, you will be led astray; and if you sow it in the morning, it will blossom for harvest on whatever day you allot it, and like a person’s father you allot it for your sons. Isaiah 17:10–11 (LES2)

It seems obvious to me that the Masoretes went out of their way to cover up a decidedly anti-Israel prophecy in this passage.Therefore, I will ignore it and try to give the proper meaning of the LXX here. Remember: Jesus said all scripture points to him. (John 5:39)

Although the descendants of Abraham had been inveterate idolators and resisted the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51, Exodus 32:9 and 33:5, Isaiah 63:10, and Jeremiah 9:26) throughout their existence, the single greatest act of abandoning God was the crucifixion of his Son. When they rejected and murdered the Messiah, they abandoned God. (Acts 2:23)

The Bible says that those who reject the Son, reject the Father as well. (1 John 2:22-23) Ever since rejecting Christ, and even before that, they have been led astray into gross darkness and error to the point where they have become “anti-Christ” in the fundamental sense of that term. Instead of recognizing the true King, they put him to death in order to possess the kingdom for themselves and their sons. (Matthew 21:38) They have never repented from this terrible act of defiance against God.