Commentary - Isaiah 25:6-9

Bird's-eye view

In this glorious passage, the prophet Isaiah pulls back the curtain on God's ultimate eschatological design. This is not a description of some ethereal, disembodied existence, but rather a robust, tangible, and celebratory picture of the gospel's triumph in history. The central image is that of a great feast, hosted by God Himself, for all the nations of the world. This feast signifies the joy and abundance of salvation. But before the feast can be fully enjoyed, certain obstacles must be removed. God promises to destroy the veil of spiritual blindness that covers the nations, and then, in a climactic act, to swallow up death itself forever. The passage concludes with the exultant cry of the redeemed, who recognize their God as the faithful Savior in whom they have trusted all along. This is a profoundly Christ-centered and postmillennial passage, showing the victory of Christ's kingdom extending to every corner of the earth, culminating in the final resurrection and the wiping away of every tear.

Outline

Verse by Verse Commentary

Verse 6

And Yahweh of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine.

The first thing to note is the host. This is a party thrown by Yahweh of hosts, the commander of the angelic armies. This is not a potluck. The God who commands legions is the one who is spreading the table. The location is also significant: on this mountain. This is Mount Zion, the place of God's dwelling and the seat of His government. In the new covenant, this mountain is the Church of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. And who are the invited guests? All peoples. The gospel is not a tribal religion for a select few; it is a global summons to a global feast. The Great Commission is going to be successful. Then there is the menu. This is no thin gruel. This is a lavish banquet. The Hebrew speaks of fat things, rich foods full of marrow. This is the best of the best. The wine is not some cheap table wine; it is aged wine, well refined. God's grace, the gospel He serves, is rich, costly, and deeply satisfying. This is a picture of the overwhelming goodness of salvation in Christ, a goodness we taste every time we come to the Lord's Table, which is the appetizer for the great wedding supper of the Lamb still to come.

Verse 7

And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.

Before the main course, an obstacle must be removed. On this same mountain, Zion, God will act decisively. He will swallow up the covering. This is the same verb used for death in the next verse; God's action is utterly destructive and final. What is this covering? Isaiah tells us it is a veil that is stretched over all nations. This is the veil of spiritual blindness, the ignorance and rebellion that keeps the peoples of the earth from seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Paul speaks of this same veil in 2 Corinthians, a veil over the hearts of those who do not believe. But in the death and resurrection of Christ, the great veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. Access to God was thrown open. And as the gospel advances, this veil is progressively removed from the nations, one heart at a time, until the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth.

Verse 8

He will swallow up death for all time, And Lord Yahweh will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For Yahweh has spoken.

Here is the main course, the central triumph. He will swallow up death for all time. This is not a truce with death, or a temporary defeat. This is utter annihilation. The apostle Paul quotes this very passage in his great resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15, declaring that death is swallowed up in victory. This was accomplished decisively in the resurrection of Jesus, and it will be applied to us in our own resurrection at the last day. The result of this victory is both tenderly personal and publicly vindicating. The Lord Yahweh Himself will wipe tears away from all faces. This is the intimate comfort of a Father for His children, a promise echoed in the final chapters of Revelation. And He will also remove the reproach of His people from all the earth. The shame, the mockery, the persecution, and the slander that the church has endured throughout the ages will be publicly and universally removed. God will vindicate His people before the watching world. How can we be sure of such a staggering promise? The reason is simple and absolute: For Yahweh has spoken. His word is decretal. What He says, goes. This is as good as done.

Verse 9

And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God in whom we have hoped that He would save us. This is Yahweh in whom we have hoped; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

This final verse gives us the response of the redeemed. In that day, the day of this great feast and victory, the saints will finally see with unveiled eyes. Their first utterance is one of recognition: Behold, this is our God. This is not an abstract deity, but the very God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Their hope is vindicated. All the long years of waiting were not in vain. We have hoped that He would save us. And He did. The response is not quiet contemplation or polite applause. It is an explosion of joy. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation. The joy is in what He has done. It is His salvation. Our part was to be the hopeless recipients of a grace so rich, a feast so lavish, that the only proper response is uninhibited, heartfelt, and eternal celebration.

Application

This passage is a potent antidote to all forms of evangelical pessimism. The gospel is not a message of grim duty, but an invitation to a rich feast. We are not fighting a losing battle, waiting to be evacuated from a hostile planet. We are on the Lord's side, and the Lord is Yahweh of hosts. He has already secured the decisive victory over sin and death in the resurrection of His Son.

Our task is to live as those who are invited to this feast. This means we live with a robust joy, a confident hope, and a global vision. We are to be about the business of pulling the veil away from the eyes of our neighbors by proclaiming the gospel. We are to live without the fear of death, because our God has swallowed it whole. And we are to endure reproach and slander with patience, knowing that the day is coming when our God will vindicate us publicly.

Finally, our worship should reflect the reality of this passage. It should be celebratory. It should be joyful. We should sing like those who know the outcome. We are not hoping for a victory; we are celebrating a victory that has already been won, and the fruits of which are spreading across the globe, until that final day when we all sit down at the great banquet and say together, "This is our God. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."