Israel

Isaiah 44:21-28

Isaiah · ~700 BC · Status: Fulfilled · Confidence: 65%
“Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
King James Version · the opening — all 8 verses are below
More of Isaiah 44 on this siteIsaiah 44:1-8 · Isaiah 44:3 · Isaiah 44:9-20 · Isaiah 44:28

God as Creator and Redeemer, who says of Cyrus he shall perform my pleasure, fulfilling the specific Cyrus prophecy.

Read the whole passage — all 8 verses (KJV)

44:21Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

44:22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

44:23Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

44:24Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

44:25That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

44:26That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

44:27That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

44:28That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

Fulfillment References

Colossians 2:14 Isaiah 45:1

How Traditions Read This Prophecy

Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal'I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions... return unto me; for I have redeemed thee' (v. 22). The LORD, the Redeemer who formed Israel from the womb, freely forgives — and even names Cyrus, the deliverer, generations before his birth (v. 28; cf. 45:1). The God who blots out sin and foretells history is the one God whose redemption is accomplished in the Lord Jesus, in whom our transgressions are blotted out (Col. 2:14).
JewishGod the Redeemer who forgives Israel's sins and, astonishingly, names Cyrus as His instrument to restore Jerusalem — His sole creative power and sovereignty over history.
CatholicGod's free forgiveness and sovereign control of history, fulfilled in the redemption and blotting-out of sins in Christ.
ProtestantThe blotting out of sins by the Redeemer, fulfilled in Christ (Col. 2:14); the naming of Cyrus a marvel of predictive prophecy.
AcademicThe Cyrus oracle (44:28; 45:1) is central to the dating debate over Isaiah; the forgiveness and creation language is classic Deutero-Isaiah.
Open the full interactive entry →
Audio narration (listen to this prophecy read aloud), cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, a prophetic timeline, network maps, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.