NOTES for Isa 25:6-10

Once again, when we encounter Isaiah's prophecy, we ask ourselves: what day is the prophet speaking about? Is “that day,” “the Day of the Lord,” the intervention by God Himself that God's people expect, through which He triumphs over all Israel's enemies? On the one hand, yes; but on the other hand, the prophets constantly emphasize another theme: deliverance, salvation. And this is not merely salvation from the hands of enemies, but something far greater. Here too, one verse earlier (Isa 25:8), there is mention of victory over death and consolation from every sorrow. Our ninth verse affirms not God's “intervention” but His coming, and a visible coming at that, such that He can be pointed to: “Behold, this is our God!”—a coming that brings salvation to those who trusted in Him.

Thus, the coming of this day is connected with our trust, with what we believe. For Isaiah's compatriots this prophecy was fulfilled when God freed Israel from the Babylonian captivity, and then they rejoiced. For us, who believe in Jesus Christ and His victory over death, the joy of salvation came into the world two thousand years ago. For those who do not know God but thirst for this world's correction and transformation, that day still lies ahead—in the Lord's Second Coming.