“Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwelling;
Do not spare,
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes (Isaiah 54:2).
When Israel came out of Babylonian captivity and returned to her homeland by the decree of Cyrus, she was a much smaller nation than she had been before.
Here, however, God tells her that she should prepare because she is about to enjoy a period of rapid growth. The word “tent,” used as a reminder of her former nomadic life, is used to signify her dwelling place.
Her expansion will be so rapid and significant that she will have to gather more “cords” and “stakes” so that she can take care of the increase.
Scholars believe this passage has a second level of meaning: they believe it is a prophecy about the coming church that would enjoy a period of rapid growth after her establishment following the death of Jesus on the cross. And, of course, that’s what happened in the first century.
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