Isaiah 42 · Scofield
servant There is a twofold account of the Coming Servant: (1) he is represented as weak, despised, rejected, slain: (2) and also as a mighty conqueror, taking vengeance on the nations and restoring Israel (e.g. Isaiah 40:10 ; 63:1-4 ). The former class of passages relate to the first advent, and are fulfilled; the latter to the second advent, and are unfulfilled.
for a light of the Gentiles The prophets connect the Gentiles with Christ in a threefold way" (1) as the Light He brings salvation to the Gentiles Luke 2:32 ; Acts 13:47,48 (2) as the "Root of Jesse" He is to reign over the Gentiles in His kingdom. Isaiah 11:10 ; Romans 15:12 . He saves the Gentiles, which is the distinctive feature of this present age. ; Romans 11:17-24 ; Ephesians 2:11,12 He reigns over the Gentiles in the kingdom-age, to follow this. See "Kingdom (O.T.)," ; Genesis 1:26-28 ; Zechariah 12:8 . (3) Believing Gentiles in the present age, together with believing Jews, constitute "the church which is His body." (See Scofield " Ephesians 3:6 ")
former things i.e. Isaiah's prediction of Sennacherib's invasion and its results, Isa. 10 and 37. See also, Isaiah 41:21-23 ; 43:8-1244:7 ; 48:3,5,16 . This appeal of the prophet to the fulfilment of his former predictions strongly confirms the unity of the book.