Isaiah 27:13

And it shall come to passe in that day, that the great trumpet shall bee blowen, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Ierusalem. Isaiah 27:13 (KJV)

Isaiah 27 is a chapter that declares God’s ultimate victory over His enemies and the restoration of His people. The chapter opens with the defeat of Leviathan, a symbol of chaotic evil, and then moves to the image of God’s vineyard, representing Israel, which He lovingly tends and protects.

The “great trumpet” in this verse signifies a powerful, loud sound that will be sounded at a decisive moment in God’s redemptive plan. In ancient Israel a trumpet could summon the nation, announce war, or proclaim a moment of great significance. Here it marks the turning point when God gathers His scattered people.

The first group mentioned are “those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria.” This refers to Israelites who had been taken into Assyrian captivity or who faced spiritual death under oppression. Their readiness to perish underscores the depth of their distress and the urgency of God’s rescue.

The second group are “the outcasts in the land of Egypt.” Though Egypt was not the primary place of exile during Isaiah’s ministry, it later became a refuge for displaced Israelites. These outcasts represent anyone who has experienced exile, alienation, or marginalization.

Both groups are promised to come and worship the Lord on the holy mount at Jerusalem, identified as Mount Zion, the site of the temple. Their worship there signals the full restoration and gathering of God’s people from diverse locations to the center of divine worship.

Historically the verse points to the return of exiles from Assyria and Egypt, while spiritually it looks forward to the ultimate gathering of God’s people through Christ. It highlights God’s power to bring the oppressed into communion with Him and to overturn the forces that seek their destruction.

For believers today the passage offers encouragement that God is a God of restoration and redemption. No matter how dire the circumstances—whether oppression, exile, or spiritual death—He can gather us to worship Him. The promise also foreshadows the final gathering of all believers in the new creation, urging us to trust in God’s sovereign plan and to seek His presence with reverent worship.