“Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.” (Isaiah 62:4)
The beautiful gospel song “Sweet Beulah Land” by Squire Parsons (1948) evokes visions of Heaven. It also evokes feelings of longing to be in our new home with our Lord after we die or after the rapture of the church. It’s a beautiful song that many people cherish as a classic in Southern Gospel. If you would like to listen to it, please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfQmPKV6hvc
Isaiah was not talking about Heaven when he wrote his prophesy under the inspiration of God. He was talking about the land of Israel. Israel had fallen into idolatry and turned their back on God, so God punished this rebellion by sending the Assyrians in about 740 BC to defeat the northern kingdom of Israel and carry them away into captivity and then a few years later the southern kingdom of Judah was forced to pay tribute to the Assyrian Empire in about 715 BC. In about 597 BC Judah was taken into captivity by the Babylonian Empire. In about 538 BC, about 200 years after the Assyrians took the Northern Kingdom, the Persian Empire, came into power and allowed the people of Israel to return to their Sweet Beulah Land.
Beulah means “married” and Hephzibah means “My delight is in her” so Isaiah, about 200 years prior to these events, prophesied that Israel would eventually be restored and the people would return home. The people of Israel, whose delight is in her “Hephzibah” would be once again married “Beulah” to their homeland. Prophesy fulfilled about 200 years after it was prophesied and the people of Israel returning to their Sweet Beulah Land. God is amazing and always keeps his promises, and the Bible is true and trustworthy.
One day all Born Again believers will return to their Sweet Beulah Land, a real place of beauty and splendor called, Heaven.