"Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD's hand Double for all her sins."--Isa.40:2 nkjv
She hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins,” is one of those sayings that gets lost in cultural translation.
If a Jew were in financial difficulties and he turned his home or his farm over to a creditor in order to meet his debts, a paper would be made out giving this full information. One copy would be kept by the one who placed the mortgage on the property, and the other would be nailed up on the doorpost, so that anyone would understand that this property was transferred temporarily to another. (They didn't need a Title Company back in the day, because the notice was on the doorway.) When the account was settled and everything was paid, the notice on the doorpost would be doubled, tacked up double, covered over. That indicated it was all settled.
When it says, “She hath received of the Lord’s hand the double for all her sins,” it is as though it said the account has been fully paid. Nothing more now to suffer, because the Lord will have pardoned her iniquity.
The prophet wrote this "It is finished" account settlement years before the birth of Christ. It was part of the message John the Baptist would cry out to the Jews preparing the way for the Gospel message to be received.
*** I share this insight, because some people ask if some have to pay double for their sins, based on this verse. No. There is one price. You can pay it and spend eternity in the lake of fire, or you can accept the payment and spend eternity with Christ.
