Isaiah 25:6-9

2. JUBILATION FOR JEHOVAH'S POSTERITY

TEXT: Isaiah 25:6-9

6

And in this mountain will Jehovah of hosts make unto all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

7

And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering that covereth all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations.

8

He hath swallowed up death for ever; and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken it.

9

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is Jehovah; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

QUERIES

a.

Which mountain? Isaiah 25:6

b.

Why feast on fat things?

c.

When will the Lord swallow up death forever?

PARAPHRASE

And at the same time the Almighty Covenant God defeats the enemies of His people and provides for them a refuge and shelter, He will make in His Zion a feast of choicest food and most refined drink. He will destroy all that obscures and hinders all men from coming to this feast. He will swallow up death forever and remove the fear and hurt that death has brought upon His faithful ones. He will wipe away all tears from the faces of those who trust Him. He will take away forever all the reproach of their sin. It is as certain as the person of Jehovah Himself. In that day, people from all nations will proclaim, This now is our God, in whom we trust, for whom we waited. At long last the One for whom we waited is here! He will save us! We gladly rejoice in His salvation!

COMMENTS

Isaiah 25:6 FEASTED: The prophets spoke glowingly of the coming Messianic age as an age of feasting and rejoicing for the covenant people of God (cf. Isaiah 55:2; Isaiah 61:1-7; Jeremiah 3:15-18; Ezekiel 34:20-24; Zechariah 8:14-23). It is apparent that all the feasts of the Mosaic dispensation were shadows of the good things to come (Hebrews 10:1 ff) and were to be fulfilled in the Messiah and His kingdom. Jesus likened the kingdom of God (the church) unto a time of great feasting (cf. Luke 14:1 ff, and Matthew 22:1-14; Matthew 25:1-13). Jesus spoke of men eating His flesh and drinking His blood as the Manna that came down out of heaven (cf. John 6:63). The epistles liken the whole Christian life unto a feast (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-5). The present Christian experience to be consummated in the next life in heaven is symbolized as the marriage supper of the Lamb to which all who will accept are invited (Revelation 19:6-10). This passage is definitely Messianic and fulfilled in the establishment of the churchto be consummated at Christ's second coming. The Hebrew word for fat things here is shemoneem. It is used in Genesis 27:28 to speak of the fatness of the land. It is a word meaning richness, delicacy, superabundance, etc. The Hebrew word for lees is shemoreem which means settled, preserved, etc. In other words, God is going to provide the richest and choicest in abundance. The Hebrew language in this sentence uses the prefix lecol to the word haameem to emphasize that this feast is to be for all the peoples. In other words, the feast is to be for the Gentiles as well as the Jewsjust as Jesus taught in His parables (Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:1-24). The mountain is, of course, Zion, but as we have already seen symbolizes the N.T. church (cf. our comments on Isaiah 2:1-4, etc.).

Isaiah 25:7-8 FREED: Two different Hebrew words are used here to denote the coverings. One word, loat, means concealment; the other word, mosokh, translated veil, means curtain and is used to denote the curtain in the tabernacle. Two Hebrew words are used to denote peopleshaameem and, the more specific, goyeem, which specifies Gentiles. The covering and veil that is to be removed probably has reference to full and final revelation of God's redemptive program in Christ and the church (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18; Ephesians 1:3-10; Ephesians 2:11-22; Colossians 1:24-29, etc.). Those who wish and who come to Zion (the church) and acknowledge and worship the true God will have the curtain removed that stands between them and knowing, serving and fellowshipping the Holy God. The curtain that kept man from the Holy presence of Jehovah was man's guilt for his sin, his fear of death (cf. Hebrews 2:14-18) and the incomprehension of his tribulations. Christ accomplished the removing of that curtain by His death and resurrection, and now all men have access to the presence of God through a new and living way which He opened for us through His flesh (cf. Hebrews 10:19-20). There must be some symbolic significance to the rending of the veil in the temple from top to bottom at the crucifixion of Christ (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45) in connection with this Messianic prophecy in Isaiah.

The Old Testament definitely teaches a future life after death. There are actual cases of resurrections from death in the O.T. (cf. 1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:35; 2 Kings 13:21). There are cases of translation where the individual did not die but was translated by God (Genesis 5:22-24; 2 Kings 2:11). Samuel reappeared after his death and talked with King Saul (1 Samuel 28:12-19). David expressed faith in a future life at the death of his infant son (2 Samuel 12:15-23). There are other passages too (Isaiah 14:9; Isaiah 26:19; Isaiah 53:10-12; Isaiah 65:20; Isaiah 66:24; Hosea 13:14; Daniel 12:2). But this passage in Isaiah 25:8 is perhaps the most concise and significant statement in all the O.T. concerning life after death.

All cause for sorrow and frustration will have been removed; therefore, the tender Father will wipe away all tears from the eyes of His children. A parallel promise in the New Testament is found in Revelation 21:1-4. While we are in this world we shall have tribulation, but we may be of good cheer for the Lord has overcome the world. We too, may overcome the world by our faith in Him. We are persuaded that this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Isaiah 25:9 FELLOWSHIPING: In the day when Jehovah makes His feast for all peoples, in the day when He removes the curtain from between Himself and all nations and in the day when He swallows up death forever, those who have waited in eager faith will enter into a participation of the salvation He has provided. This passage reminds us of the prophecy of John the Baptist's father of the coming Messiah (Luke 1:67-79) and of Simeon's prophetic prayer (Luke 2:29-35). Much of the sin-stricken world was searching for fellowship with The Divine Being. They had even built altars to the Unknown God (Acts 17:23). When the Unknown God became Known, when the Word became flesh and dwelt among men and accomplished His redemptive work and was proclaimed throughout the known world by the apostles, thousands and thousands of men of every tribe and tongue said, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him.. Men are still waiting for Him in places far away and near. He has made Himself knowable and available. But He has sovereignly chosen (Romans 9:10-11) to become knowable and available through a response of faith to the preached Word (cf. Romans 10:14-17). If every man is to have the opportunity to be glad and rejoice in his salvation, then those who know the Word must preach it to every man.

QUIZ

1.

What does the N.T. tell us about interpreting God's feast of fat things?

2.

What is the covering or veil that is spread over all nations?

3.

How is that covering removed?

4.

What does the O.T. say about the future life after death?

5.

How do we know the world was waiting for God?

6.

How are men who wait for God to be brought into fellowship with Him?