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New Defender's Study Bible Notes
26:3 perfect peace. “Perfect peace” (Hebrew shalom, shalom) is, literally “peace, peace.” This is “peace that passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). The specific application is to the faithful in Israel during the great tribulation, but the principle certainly is true for all believers in any age.
26:4 everlasting strength. “Everlasting strength” is literally “a rock of ages.” That “Peace, peace” is found only in “YAH, YAHWEH” (literal rendering of “LORD JEHOVAH,” who, indeed is our “Rock of Ages.”
26:9 judgments are in the earth. The coming great tribulation will be the time—more than any time since the great Flood—when God’s “judgments are in the earth.” Out of these wrenching experiences, a great multitude of previously indifferent or antagonistic sinners will turn to God and be saved, even though it leads to martyrdom (Revelation 7:9,14).
26:15 all the ends of the earth. Descendants of Israel have been found in every nation. Despite their long scattering without a homeland, the nation had still been increased, both in number and influence.
26:19 dead men shall live. Here is an Old Testament assurance of bodily resurrection of the believing dead, such assurance being possible because God Himself, in Christ, would conquer death. Believers would arise “together with my dead body.” This was literally fulfilled at the time of Christ’s resurrection (Matthew 27:52-53). It will be completed when Christ returns and “all that are in the graves…shall come forth” (John 5:28-29).
26:20 the indignation be overpast. “The indignation” is the great tribulation, during the height of which the believing Israelites will be preserved supernaturally by God in the wilderness (Revelation 12:13-16). In a secondary application, this promise will also apply to all the saints caught up to be with Christ prior to the onset of the tribulation period (I Thessalonians 4:17; 5:3).
26:21 inhabitants of the earth. The tribulation period will be for the purpose of punishing the earth’s inhabitants for their iniquity in rejecting God and His Christ (Psalm 2:2-5), not for purifying believers.