Isaiah 66:19-21 – Glory in Salvation
What is the sign that God refers to in verse 19? This is Jesus Christ Himself. Those who did believe upon Him were sent forth, even as He told them to go forth in what we think of as the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. We see it beginning with the preaching of the Gospel by Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2, where these nations were all gathered, and all of them in their different languages, heard the praises of God. Much of Acts is an account of Paul’s missionary journeys to distant lands. The places mentioned in verse 19 are places that are far away and to the Israelites, mysterious. They know there is something out there, but no Israelite has seen them. These lands, on the other hand, way out there, have never heard of the living and true God. They have never heard of the Son whom He will send. But they shall. God’s glory will be declared among the Gentiles. God’s people went forth as God, through Isaiah, said they would. They went forth as Jesus commanded them to do. They spoke of sin. They preached Christ and Him crucified. They spoke of Him as resurrected, having fully accomplished salvation for His people, as Paul did in Acts chapter 17. And they spoke of Him as ascended to glory. They declared to sinners that there was deliverance for them and peace with God. God was glorified, sinners were saved, and many from the nations were and are being led into life in Jesus Christ. We have the promise here, and we’ll see it in the next couple of verses, that people will come. They did. They did on Pentecost. They did on many other occasions. They will come as we tell people of Jesus Christ. Salvation has come to the nations. And we’re all living examples of that.
We see in verse 20 the result of this sending. There is a mighty river of conversions, people streaming out of the nations. They are in Christ, they are children of God, they are brothers to those who are the true Israel of God. They are an offering to the Lord, consecrated in heart to God. They are borne along over bad roads and good, safely through any barrier. They are going to Jerusalem, and their King is in their midst.
In verse 21 Isaiah is looking to New Testament days where the priests do not do the work of sacrifice, but tell of the person and work of Christ. They are the elders of the Church, who teach and intercede for the people. The Levites of old helped the priesthood, even as the deacons today help the elders and help the people in their need and in their use of temporal things to the glory of God!
Question
- What does Jesus command His Church to do?
Prayer Points
- Pray that as you reach out with the Gospel many would come to Christ.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.