There is a special kind of joy that comes from celebrating a victory. It can be a triumph at work or the successful end of a school year. The sweetest victory celebrations come after a hard fought battle, such as the “all clear” from a doctor after a long illness. When we are finally able to put a difficult season behind us, victory tastes all the more sweet.
We’re making our way to Revelation 19, to the wedding supper of the lamb. But Revelation is not the only place we glimpse the victory celebration that God has planned for his people in the future. The prophet Isaiah anticipates a glorious feast in a world without sin and disgrace.
Read
Isaiah 25:6-9 (NIV)
6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
9 In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
How would you describe this feast? How would it feel to be in attendance?
Reflect
Every culture has times when people come together to celebrate special occasions, and we love it when the gathering has at least a hint of extravagance. After all, it’s the out-of-the-ordinary touches that mark the occasion as special. In America, we enjoy plates piled high with barbecue on the 4th of July, beautifully frosted cakes at birthday parties, rich desserts at Christmas, and scrumptious buffets at wedding receptions. Good hosts honor their guests by laying out their best.
Lavish meals in a beautiful setting are a sign of the host’s welcoming generosity and a symbol of the their joy in showing abundant hospitality to their guests. God’s table is no different. God’s abundance is on full display, and Isaiah makes the point that this feast is for all people.
Scholars call this banquet a “messianic” banquet. The Jewish people during the time of Isiah looked forward to the Day of the Lord where God’s final judgment would bring righteousness and peace to the world. These verses point to the time of the coming Messiah who will right all wrongs and vanquish all enemies.
In his commentary, Alec Motyer describes verses 7 and 8 beautifully:
“Until that Day dawns, the whole world is in the shadows. We are born into it and therefore we do not recognize that what we call light is but twilight. Paul expressed it by saying ‘the night is nearly over; the day is almost here’ (Rom. 13:12), and the same thought lies behind the emphasis on the brightness (Is. 24:23) that is to come. In banishing everything that darkens life, the Lord will in particular swallow up death forever.”[1]
Death stalks us on this earth. It degrades our bodies and steals our loved ones. Fear of death threatens our sense of peace. Yet by his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated death. This is the victory that we will celebrate one day at God’s table. We will praise him for his faithfulness because he will have fulfilled his promises. Our salvation, body, soul and spirit, will be complete. This is a party we want everyone we know to experience!
Isaiah’s prophecy gave hope to Israel when they were in exile in Babylon. God had not abandoned them. It gives hope to us as well. As we interact with the people around us, we can share this hope. The struggles of this life do not have to have the final say. We worship a God who brings light into dark places and brings the dead back to life. We can experience him through Jesus today.
[1] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 193.
Respond
- Praise God that “he will swallow up death forever.” How does knowing this affect how we live now? How can you share this hope through meaningful conversations.