Your Apparel Red – Isaiah 63:1-6

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.”  That line from the Battle Hymn of the Republic by abolitionist Julia Ward Howe, was written “in November 1861 and links the judgment of the wicked at the end of the age (through allusions to biblical passages such as Isaiah 63 and Revelation 19) with the American Civil War” (Wikipedia).

Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength?  “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.”

Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?

“I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel.  For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come.  I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me.  I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”  (Isaiah 63:1-6 ESV)

Like a watchman on the wall Isaiah sees the Messiah, the servant of Yahweh, returning to Jerusalem from battle with Edom at her capital city Bozrah.  His clothes are crimson, as if he has stained them stomping on grapes in a winepress.  

He identifies himself as the one who speaks in righteousness and who is mighty to save.  He explains that he has come from single-handedly defeating the enemy in his anger and it is their blood that has stained his clothes.  Vengeance was in his heart against his people’s enemies and redemption of his people was his goal.  Because there was no one else to help he had to accomplish this alone.

Revelation 19 depicts Jesus coming from heaven on a white horse and defeating the antichrist in battle near Jerusalem in order to defeat evil and to establish his rule on earth.  The language here is bloody, as well, not because God revels in gore, but because it signals the completeness of his victory and the setting of all things right with the destruction of evil.  Lord, haste the day.

Discussion Questions

1. What do you observe about pressing grapes the old fashioned way from this video?
2. Why did the Servant of Yahweh look for someone to tread the grapes with him?
3. Why did he choose to do the judgment by himself?
4. How do you feel about the Servant’s statement, “my wrath upheld me”?
5. How would you answer someone who questioned the rightness of God to be so violent?
6. Will you be excited to see the day of the Lord’s wrath?  Why or why not?