Isaiah chapter 56
A massive global evangelization. Religious leaders are corrupt.
A MASSIVE GLOBAL EVANGELIZATION
VERSE 1. The LORD says, “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is near and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
NLT translation. I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you.
my salvation is near. Some people say God the Father is ambivalent. Other people say he’s angry. Still other people believe God the Father is lovingly involved in their life. Read more »
I am coming soon to rescue you. This is wonderful news!
VERSE 2. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
VERSE 3. Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD speak, saying, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people.” Do not let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
foreigners. The Old Testament foresees Gentiles coming to faith in the One God of Israel and bringing gifts to Jerusalem. Here are the key Bible verses about this »
joined himself to the LORD. Gentiles had committed themselves to LORD God of Israel.
Do not let the eunuch say. A eunuch was a “dry tree.” He was unable to father children.
VERSE 4. For the LORD says, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, choose the things that please me, and hold fast to my covenant,
the eunuchs. That is, “the unsexed” (BBE translation)
VERSE 5. I will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
VERSE 6. Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to serve him, and to love the LORD’s name, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant,
NLT translation. I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant.
I will also bless the foreigners. The Old Testament foresees Gentiles coming to faith in the One God of Israel and bringing gifts to Jerusalem. Here are the key Bible verses about this »
VERSE 7. I will bring these to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
NIV translation. these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
The Old Testament foresees Gentiles coming to faith in the One God of Israel and bringing gifts to Jerusalem. Here are the key Bible verses about this »
these I will bring to my holy mountain. These Gentile converts will be allowed into the Holy Temple.
give them joy in my house of prayer. The LORD God will fill these Gentile converts with joy.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar. These Gentile converts will offer sacrifice within the Holy Temple.
for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. The temple existed for the worship of the LORD God. But the religious leaders turned it into a money-maker for themselves. This was an abuse of their authority. Read more »
VERSE 8. The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “I will yet gather others to him, in addition to his own who are gathered.”
NLT translation. For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.
others, too, besides my people Israel. We think this predicts a Jewish evangelization of the entire world. It will be massive and powerful. It has not yet taken place.
Alternately, one could say it is speaking, in prophetic terms, of the Christian evangelization of the whole world.
However, that doesn’t fit. The phraseology is Jewish, not Christian:
- sacrifice
- temple
- holy mountain
- Jerusalem
- a desire to be Jewish
- “LORD” not “Lord”
- observing the Sabbath
RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE CORRUPT
VERSE 9. All you animals of the field, come to devour, all you animals in the forest.
VERSE 10. His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark—dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
His watchmen are blind. Religious leaders are blind. They can only see their own personal benefit.
They are all without knowledge. Religious leaders hardly know the faith they lead.
VERSE 11. Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.
shepherds who can’t understand. This is speaking of shepherds.
In the Bible, the term “shepherd” is a euphemism for a religious leader.
Religious leaders were corrupt. They did as they pleased. They acted as though they were accountable to no one.
VERSE 12. “Come,” say they, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.”
ISAIAH
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, True Fasting
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.