Chapter 25 talked about a day of great bounty and joy...a day in which "the LORD GOD will wipe tears away from all faces" (25:8). It was also a day in which Moab would be like someone swimming in manure (25:10-11). What we have is a period of time when God's people would enjoy great peace and prosperity.
So when 26:1 begins, "in that day," we understand the context to be this time of God's great care. My favorite part is 26:7-10:
7 The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
8 Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.
9 At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.
Did your mind jump to Revelation when you read Isaiah 27? Mine did. I thought about...
27:1 - "In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea."
Rev. 12:9 talks about the dragon, Satan, the Serpent of old, who was cast out of heaven
27:12 - "In that day the LORD will start His threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel."
Rev. 14:15 - "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe."
27:13 - "It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown"
Rev. 11:15 - "Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.'"
I'm not saying these are exact parallels...yet...but my mind couldn't help but draw itself to these references. What do you think?
Nathan