Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
10. the end from the beginning ] i.e. the issue (of a particular series of events or period of history) from its origin.
the things that are not yet done ] with closer reference to the events mentioned in Isa 46:11. Cf. ch Isa 48:5 (“before it has come to pass”).
My counsel shall stand ] Cf. ch. Isa 14:24.
my pleasure ] my purpose (see on ch. Isa 44:28).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Declaring the end from the beginning – Foretelling accurately the course of future events. This is an argument to which God often appeals in proof that he is the only true God (see Isa 41:22-23; Isa 43:12; Isa 44:26).
My counsel shall stand – My purpose, my design, my will. The phrase shall stand means that it shall be stable, settled, fixed, established. This proves:
1. That God has a purpose or plan in regard to human affairs. If he had not, he could not predict future events, since a contingent event cannot be foreknown and predicted; that is, it cannot be foretold that an event shall certainly occur in one way, when by the very supposition of its being contingent it may happen either that way, or some other way, or not at all.
2. That Gods plan will not be frustrated. He has power enough to secure the execution of his designs, and he will exert that power in order that all his plans may be accomplished. We may observe, also, that it is a matter of unspeakable joy that God has a plan, and that it will be executed. For
(1) If there were no plan in relation to human things, the mind could find no rest. If there was no evidence that One Mind presided over human affairs; that an infinitely wise plan had been formed, and that all things had been adjusted so as best to secure the ultimate accomplishment of that plan, everything would have the appearance of chaos, and the mind must be filled with doubts and distractions. But our anxieties vanish in regard to the apparent irregularities and disorders of the universe, when we feel that all things are under the direction of an Infinite Mind, and will be made to accomplish his plans, and further his great designs.
(2) If his plans were not accomplished, there would be occasion of equal doubt and dismay. If there was any power that could defeat the purposes of God; if there was any stubbornness of matter, or any inflexible perverseness in the nature of mind; if there were any unexpected and unforeseen extraneous causes that could interpose to thwart his plans, then the mind must be full of agitation and distress. But the moment it can fasten on the conviction that God has formed a plan that embraces all things, and that all things which occur will be in some way made tributary to that plan, that moment the mind can be calm in resignation to his holy will.
And I will do all my pleasure – I will accomplish all my wish, or effect all my desire. The word rendered here pleasure ( chepets) means properly delight or pleasure 1Sa 15:22; Psa 1:2; Psa 16:3; Ecc 5:4; Ecc 12:10; then desire, wish, will Job 31:16; and then business, cause, affairs Isa 53:10. Here it means that God would accomplish everything which was to him an object of desire; everything which he wished, or willed. And why should he not? Who has power to hinder or prevent him Rom 9:19? And why should not we rejoice that he will do all that is pleasing to him? What better evidence have we that it is desirable that anything should be done, than that it is agreeable, or pleasing to God? What better security can we have that it is right, than that he wills it? What more substantial and permanent ground of rejoicing is there in regard to anything, than that it is such as God prefers, loves, and wills?
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 46:10
Declaring the end from the beginning
God as a Worker
God is not a passive existent, resting idly in immensity.
He is essentially, incessantly, everlastingly active. He fainteth not, neither is weary. He has done wonderful things, and He will do wonders more. The text suggests four things in relation to God, as a Worker in the future.
I. HE KNOWS ALL THAT IS TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. Declaring the end from the beginning. When we embark in an enterprise, difficulties start up in our path that never entered into our calculation and baffle us. Not so with God. When He began the work of redemption, He saw all the infidelities, superstitions, depravities, devils, and hells that would oppose Him.
II. HE HAS REVEALED ALL THAT IS TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. Declaring, &c. Applying the words to redemption, He has declared in many a grand prophetic passage what will be its end, sweeping all wrongs and woes, all sins and sufferings, from this planet, and filling it with Christly virtues and heavenly blessedness. Yes, and more, peopling heaven with untold millions of souls. His declaration of the end is very explicit, very frequent, very encouraging.
III. HE WILL EXECUTE ALL THAT IS TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. My counsel shall stand. He will employ thousands of instrumentalities and ministries, but He will do it. They will work by His direction, and by His power. He will do it gradually and efficiently.
IV. HE HAS A PLEASURE IN ALL THAT IS TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. I will do all My pleasure. To re-create and re-paradise lost souls is His pleasure. He rejoices over repentant sinners. (Homilist.)
My counsel shall stand
Gods standing counsel
To form a plan and then to alter it, or to have a fixed plan and to fail in it, is one of the many sad imperfections of humanity. In the first ease, some new light springs up which was not evident before. In the second some difficulty arises, which, as a mountain, hinders the carrying out of the plan. But who can suppose any of this in God–a Being of Infinite Power? (Isa 40:15-17.) With Him thereis no difficulty. He is a Being of Infinite wisdom. Nothing escapes Him. The past, the present, the future are an everlasting now. Unchanged are His resolves, as His nature is unchangeable (Psa 33:11; Pro 19:21; Pro 21:30; Act 5:39; Heb 6:17).
I. THE DECLARATION.
1. We see this exemplified in the works of nature. Such is the regularity of all that the Great Mechanist is too usually lost sight of in the very machinery of His hands, as if it worked by its own power, regulated itself.
2. Still more distinctly do we see this declaration in the works of Providence. Wheel runs within wheel, but He is in every wheel, whatever its direction, whatever its movement. He is directly or indirectly in it. Look at Cyrus. Look at the history of Joseph. Look at Jesus Himself. (Act 2:23; Act 3:18; Act 4:26-28.)
3. But if He does all His pleasure in His works of creation and providence, how much more in the greater, infinitely greater displays of Himself in His grace, which is His glory! (2Ti 1:9.)
II. THE GROUND OF SUCH DECLARATION. I will do all My pleasure. It is His own work. True, He works by means, and most commonly by human instrumentality. But it is in all respects His own work.
1. The subject has an awful look upon any who have been trifling. My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure. Look at the fall. Look at the sin and sinfulness of this polluted world. These are but a fearful comment on My counsel shall stand. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. Look at the flood. Look at Babylon. Look at Jerusalem.
2. The subject is most encouraging to every returning sinner.
3. This is most consolatory to the tried saint.
4. Beware of any abuse of this great and glorious truth. If Gods counsel standeth fast, and He does all His pleasure, it is that God who delights in human instrumentality. (J. H. Evans, M.A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Declaring the end from the beginning; foretelling from the beginning of the world, or from the beginning of your nation, those future events which should happen in succeeding ages, even to the end of the world, or to the end of your commonwealth; for such predictions we find delivered by Moses, the first founder of their commonwealth.
My counsel shall stand; as I will not, so no other power can, disappoint my purposes and predictions.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. (Isa 45:21;Isa 41:22; Isa 41:23;Isa 44:26).
yetnot in the Hebrew.Translate, “What had not been done” [HORSLEY].
do all my pleasure(Isa 53:10; Rom 9:19).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Declaring the end from the beginning,…. The end of the Jewish state, both as a church, and a commonwealth, from the first settlement of it in the times of Moses, and by him, De 32:29. The end of the world, and all things in it, as early as the times of Enoch, the seventh from Adam, Jude 1:14. The end and issue of every event, at least of many very remarkable and momentous ones, before they came to pass; and particularly things relating to Christ, the beginning and end; the fulfilling end of the moral law for righteousness; the scope and design of the ceremonial law, to which that tended, and in which it issued; as well as the end of the whole Scripture, of the prophecies and promises of it: and this end was declared very early, and spoken of by all the prophets that were from the beginning of the world; and which is a full proof of the omniscience of God, and so of his true deity, Lu 1:70.
And from the ancient times the things that are not yet done; that were not at this time done, though they are since: such as the captivity of the Jews, and their return from it; also the incarnation of Christ, his obedience and sufferings, and the glory that should follow; his resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of God; the work of redemption by him; the effusion of the Spirit; the spread of the Gospel among the Gentiles, and their conversion; and others which are now not yet done; as the conversion of the Jews in the latter day, and the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles; the glory of the church in those times as to knowledge, peace, purity, power, and authority; the destruction of antichrist; and the second coming of the Messiah; all which have been declared from ancient times; and as the former have been accomplished, there is reason to believe the latter will:
saying, my counsel shall stand; the purposes and decrees of God, which are within himself, wisely formed by him, eternal and not frustrable; and which shall stand, or be accomplished, being the counsels of him who is all wise, all knowing, all powerful, unchangeable, true, and faithful; whether they respect the providence of God in relation to the world in general, and the government of it, or to particular persons, and their affairs, from the time of their birth to their death; or whether they respect his grace and goodness in the salvation of men; such as his purpose according to election, the covenant of his grace, redemption by Christ, the effectual calling, and eternal glorification; all which, as they are according to the will and counsel of God; stand firm and sure, and shall have their full accomplishment; see Ps 33:11.
And I will do all my pleasure; as he has done in creation, and does in providence, so he has done, can do, and does in grace, in predestination and redemption, and in the effectual calling. And particularly this may refer to the deliverance of the Jews by Cyrus, a type of Christ, and deliverance by him, as follows:
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
10. Declaring from the beginning. He now explains more fully in what manner he wishes the Jews to remember the past time, namely, that they were taught by constant predictions, as far as was necessary for their advantage. But from this preface he immediately makes a transition to the hope of deliverance.
My counsel shall stand. We ought not to wonder that he repeats this so frequently, because it is very hard to persuade men of the truth of it. The people were not only slow to believe, but even obstinate; and therefore he reminds them that they had learned long ago, and not on one occasion only, how safe it is to place their confidence in God. Nor is it only his foreknowledge that is here extolled by him, but he says that he has testified by his prophets what he had decreed. Even the prophecies would have no certainty or solidity, if the same God who declares that this or that thing shall happen had not the events themselves in his power. At the same time, he states that he speaks according to truth and brings forward his decrees in all the prophecies, that the Jews may not hesitate to place a firm reliance, as soon as the prophets have spoken. But as I have already explained these subjects more largely, I now give nothing more than a brief view of them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Isa 46:10-11. Declaring the end from the beginning Declaring the event, &c. Another argument for the divinity of the God of Israel is here urged, namely, his foreknowledge and prediction of future events. The prophet subjoins, in the 11th verse, a particular instance of God’s prescience. There can be no doubt that Cyrus is meant by the ravenous bird, or eagle from the east. Kings and princes are often compared in Scripture to eagles, Jer 48:40. Eze 17:3. But it has been thought that there is a peculiar propriety in this application to Cyrus, as the eagle well denotes the magnanimity, the quickness of judgment, the celerity in all his expeditions and motions, for which Cyrus was so remarkable. We are also told by Plutarch, that Cyrus had an aquiline nose, and Xenophon expressly relates that his standard was a golden eagle; “which still,” says he, “continues to be the standard of the Persian kings.” See Cyropoed. book 7: not far from the beginning.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Ver. 10. Declaring the end from the beginning. ] This foretelling of things future is a precellency in God above idols that he much standeth upon.
I will do all my pleasure.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the end: Isa 41:22, Isa 41:23, Isa 44:7, Isa 45:21, Gen 3:15, Gen 12:2, Gen 12:3, Gen 49:10, Gen 49:22-26, Num 24:17-24, Deu 4:24-31, Deu 28:15-68, Act 15:18
My counsel: Isa 46:11, Isa 43:13, Psa 33:11, Psa 135:6, Pro 19:21, Pro 21:30, Dan 4:35, Act 3:23, Act 4:27, Act 4:28, Act 5:39, Rom 11:33, Rom 11:34, Eph 1:9-11, Heb 6:17
Reciprocal: Gen 21:12 – hearken Gen 41:32 – it is because Num 22:38 – have I Num 23:27 – peradventure Deu 31:21 – I know 1Ki 11:40 – Solomon sought 1Ki 12:15 – that he might 1Ki 13:2 – Josiah by name 2Ki 19:25 – Hast thou not 2Ki 24:3 – Surely 1Ch 29:12 – power 2Ch 22:7 – was of God 2Ch 25:16 – determined Job 12:13 – counsel Job 23:13 – and what Job 33:13 – giveth not account Job 42:2 – can be withholden from thee Psa 2:7 – the decree Psa 115:3 – he hath Pro 16:9 – General Ecc 3:14 – whatsoever Ecc 5:8 – matter Ecc 7:13 – who Isa 7:7 – General Isa 10:12 – when the Lord Isa 14:6 – and none Isa 14:24 – Surely Isa 19:17 – because Isa 23:9 – Lord Isa 25:1 – thy counsels Isa 37:26 – how I Isa 40:8 – the word Isa 41:4 – calling Isa 41:25 – raised Isa 42:9 – new things Isa 43:9 – who among Isa 43:12 – declared Isa 48:3 – declared Isa 48:5 – even Isa 55:11 – it shall accomplish Jer 4:28 – because Jer 25:28 – Ye Jer 29:11 – I know Jer 32:17 – there Jer 32:19 – Great Jer 44:28 – shall know Jer 47:7 – the Lord Jer 49:20 – the counsel Jer 50:25 – this Jer 50:45 – hear Jer 51:29 – every Lam 3:37 – saith Eze 9:11 – I have Dan 4:24 – the decree Dan 11:36 – for Hos 5:9 – have Amo 6:11 – the Lord Zec 6:1 – and the Mat 11:26 – for Mat 24:25 – General Mat 26:5 – Not Mar 15:26 – the superscription Joh 7:30 – but Act 2:23 – being Act 20:27 – all Act 23:11 – must Act 25:12 – unto Caesar shalt Rom 9:11 – that the Rom 9:19 – Why doth 1Co 12:18 – as it Eph 1:11 – according Eph 3:11 – General 2Th 2:13 – from Jam 1:17 – no variableness Rev 17:17 – until
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God had throughout history predicted how history would unfold, including things that had not happened previously. His revelations were in harmony with His purpose to carry out His beneficial will for humankind. Most recently He had predicted Cyrus, who would descend on Babylon like an eagle on a rabbit. His audience could count on this prediction coming to pass, because it was just the latest example of what He had done since the beginning.