The watchmen shall lift up the voice
Not the Levites in the temple, nor the prophets of the Old
Testament; rather the evangelists and apostles of Christ; best of
all Gospel ministers in the latter day, so called in allusion to
watch men on the walls of cities looking out, and giving notice
of approaching danger; see ( Isaiah 62:6 Isaiah 62:7 ) . The
words may be rendered, "the voice of the watchmen; they shall
lift up the voice; together shall they sing"; that is, this is
the voice of the watchmen, namely, the voice of peace and
salvation, which the bringer of good tidings, the same with these
watchmen, publish. "Lifting up" their "voice" denotes the
publicness of their ministrations, the vehemency of them, and
their importance; "singing together", their joy and cheerfulness,
their harmony and unity. For they shall see eye to
eye;
most clearly, Zion's King reigning before his ancients
gloriously; the great doctrines of peace and salvation published
by them; and the great and wonderful things God will do for his
church, in fulfilling prophecies relating thereunto. So the
Targum,
``for with their eyes they shall see the great things which the Lord will do;''and as their light and discerning will be most clear, like the light of seven days, so it will be alike in them; their sentiments and doctrines will exactly agree; there will be no difference nor dissension among them: when the Lord shall bring again Zion:
return his church and people to their former state, from whence they were declined; restore them as at the beginning; revive his work among them; cause his Gospel and ordinances to be professed and observed in their purity; call in his ancient people the Jews, and bring in the fulness of the Gentiles; pour out his spirit in a plentiful manner on them, and grant his gracious presence to them; so the Targum,
``when he shall return his Shechinah or divine Majesty to Zion.''This text is by the Jews F14 applied to the times of the Messiah, and to the resurrection of the dead F15.
F14 Pesikta in Kettoreth Hassammim in Targ. in Numb. fol. 25. 4.
F15 T. Bab. Sanhedrhin. fol. 91. 2.
