A Message of Comfort

Isaiah prophesied to Judah as the nation fell into great apostasy. His message was one of judgment but also of great hope. Both Israel and Judah would face defeat by foreign ene-mies and be carried away into captivity. Only Judah would return and rebuild Jerusalem and its temple.
The reason for the return was not due to Judah's repentance or reformation but in order to prepare for the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah announced this event in the clearest terms (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6, 7). Isaiah also warned the nation that their sin would be judged severely (Isaiah 9:8, 12–16). However, Israel's response to the Lord's threats was arrogance and defiance (Isaiah 9:10). Nevertheless, the Lord was determined to carry out the threats (v. 11).
In the passage before us, we must distinguish between the comfort the Lord promises to "my people" and the resolve of judgment against the "wicked" for whom there is "no peace." The righteous remnant are the "my people" whom Emmanuel was commissioned to save. It is to this remnant that these words of comfort are directed because they too will suffer in the judgment coming. However, the result will be gloriously different for God's people when Emmanuel returns.