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Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 61:2

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To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

2. the acceptable year of the Lord ] Rather, a year of Jehovah’s favour (ch. Isa 49:8); and so in the next line, a day of our God’s vengeance (cf. Isa 63:4, ch. Isa 34:8). vengeance ] i.e. on the oppressors of Israel, perhaps also on the sinful members of the nation (Isa 59:16 ff.).

to comfort all that mourn ] Cf. ch. Isa 57:18. The clause belongs properly to the next verse.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord – (see the notes at Isa 49:8). There is probably an allusion here to the year of Jubilee, when the trumpet was blown, and liberty was proclaimed throughout all the land (so Lev 25:9-10). In like manner the Messiah would come to proclaim universal liberty – liberty to all the world from the degrading servitude of sin. The time of his coming would be a time when Yahweh would be pleased to proclaim through him universal emancipation from this ignoble bondage, and to restore to all the privilege of being the freedmen of the Lord.

And the day of vengeance of our God – (See the notes at Isa 34:8). This is language adapted to the deliverance from Babylon. The rescue of his people would be attended with vengeance on their enemies. This was not quoted by the Saviour in his discourse at Nazareth, or if quoted, the fact is not recorded by Luke (see Luk 4:19). The text which the Saviour took then as the foundation of his discourse Luk 4:21, seems to have ended with the clause before this, It is not to be inferred, however, that he did not consider the subsequent expressions as referring to himself, but it was not necessary to his purpose to quote them. Regarded as applicable to the Redeemer and his preaching, this doubtless refers to the fact that his coming would be attended with vengeance on his foes. It is a great truth, manifest everywhere, that Gods coming forth at any time to deliver his people is attended with vengeance on his enemies. So it was in the destruction of Idumea – regarded as the general representative of all the foes of God (see the notes at Isa. 34; Isa 35:1-10); so it was in the deliverance from Egypt – involving the destruction of Pharaoh and his host; so in the destruction of Babylon and the deliverance of the captives there. So in like manner it was in the destruction of Jerusalem; and so it will be at the end of the world Matt. 25:31-46; 2Th 1:7-10.

To comfort all that mourn – The expression, all that mourn, may refer either to those who mourn over the loss of earthly friends and possessions, or to those who mourn over sin. In either case the gospel has afforded abundant sources of consolation (see the notes at Isa 25:8).

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Isa 61:2

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord

The year of Jubilee

It may be profitable to trace out the analogies between the year of jubilee which rejoiced the hearts of Israel, and that more comprehensive era of which it was broadly typical, and which was to bring gladness to all peoples unto the end of the dispensation, when the loving ministry of God is finished.

1. The Jewish jubilee commenced at the close of the day of atonement. Is not this a very true type of the way in which spiritual blessings are exclusively introduced to mankind? There can be no jubilee for us, a race of lost and guilty rebels taken in arms, traitors convicted of treason, unless an all-prevalent atonement had previously purchased our pardon.

2. There was rest from exhausting labour. By a providential arrangement similar to that which secured a double supply of manna on the sixth day, the land had unusual fertility in the sixth year, so that in the seventh, which was the ordinary, and in the fiftieth, which was the special sabbatical year, there was a suspension of the common duties of husbandry. Both the land and labourers had rest, and yet the supply did not fail, for there was plenty in every barn, and there was gladness in every heart. And, in a spiritual sense, is not rest for the weary just what our spirits so fervently require–just what the Gospel has been itself inspired to provide

3. The next blessing pertaining to the year of jubilee was the restoration of alienated property. When a man, through misfortune or extravagance, had contracted liabilities that were beyond his means, and had sold his possessions to discharge them, if he were not himself able to redeem them, and if none of his kindred were at once wealthy and willing, these possessions remained as the property of the creditor until the year of jubilee, and then it was provided by the law that they should return to him who had parted from them for a season. We, the whole race of us, had a bright inheritance once–Gods favour, Gods fellowship, Gods image, all were ours by birth–but, alas! we alienated it by sin. We are not ourselves able to redeem it. But, through infinite compassion, this our inheritance has not been suffered to pass out of the family. Christ our kinsman, our elder brother, has paid down the price, and has rescued this our heritage from the fangs of the harpies who would fain have usurped it for their own. We had sold our birthright as a common thing, but it has been redeemed, and it is offered to us without a price by a love that is surely without parallel. The acceptable year did dawn upon the world indeed when it witnessed the birth of the Messiah, and that sun, like that of Gideon, stood still at His bidding, and hasted not to go down until now.

4. Another blessing which is mentioned in the history is the restoration of freedom. It seems to have been a custom among the Hebrews, as among other Eastern nations, for a debtor who had become hopelessly involved to sell himself to his creditors, in order that by his personal service he might discharge the debt that he was otherwise unable to pay. Of course, it was provided that for the amelioration of his condition, and for its termination in the year of jubilee, the man was not to be a slave, but a hired servant and a soldier, and he was to remain until the year of jubilee, and then he and his children should all go out and return unto their possession. All sinners are in bondage, bound with the chain of their sins, led captive by the devil at his will. How I delight to proclaim it in your hearing, The year of jubilee is come. If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (W. M. Punshon.)

No light without a shadow

There is a tremendous alternative before men–acceptation or vengeance. When we speak of vengeance in this connection, and as a Divine act, it must be understood not in a malignant and revengeful sense, but in a judicial. It must be regarded as an act of eternal justice. We propose to interrogate Nature and ask her what she has to tell us of this alternative. We would greatly prefer to present Christ as the light of the world, but we know of no light without a shadow. Observe, however, the terms in which the light and the shadow are expressed in the prophets language. It is the year of acceptation, and only the day of vengeance. This is a very natural description. The light always attracts us most: we scarcely think of the shadow. The idea of hell is in accordance with the laws of nature, and cannot be eliminated from thought.

I. ANTITHESES BELONG TO THE FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF THINGS; HENCE, ARE TO BE FOUND EVEN IN FINALITIES. All positive things involve a corresponding negative; and are comprehensible only by contrast with their negative. If you paint a picture all white, you have nothing but a white washed canvas and no picture; it is only by contrast between lights and shadows that you can give it expression and form. What is there in the world that has not its corresponding negative? If there is light there is also darkness; if there is height there is also depth; if there is joy there is also sorrow; if there is perfection there is also deformity; if there is beauty there is also ugliness; if there is upward there is also downward; if there is heat there is also cold; if there is good tilers is also bad; if there is reward there is also punishment; if there is heaven there is also hell.

II. ALTERNATIVES ARE NECESSARY TO MORAL BEINGS. A moral being is one who has power of choice; and there can be no choice except as between alternatives. Our whole life is a choosing between alternatives. It would then, indeed, be singular if this choice was only possible in matters of secondary importance, but eliminated from matters of the highest importance. If there is no alternative over against heaven, then heaven is not a matter of choice; if not matter of choice, then it must be arbitrarily conferred, and, there being no alternative, it must of necessity be conferred arbitrarily upon good and bad alike.

III. THE LAW OF CONSEQUENCES REVEALS A HELL. Who can compute the consequences of an act? It may be but momentary, yet consequences of the most momentous character are entailed upon the world.

IV. THE LAW OF GROWTH REVEALS A HELL. Growth is of two kinds: by assimilation of things without, and by development from within: the first, scientific people call by involution; the second, by evolution. Sin grows, and grows by this double process. It assimilates with itself the elements of evil around it. This is the law of its existence, which forecloses any prospect of remedy from within. Moreover, sin grows by evolution. Sin propagates, and it propagates nothing but itself. Hence it cannot become extinct. It must propagate itself in the soul for ever unless some external power shall eliminate it. It cannot outgrow itself. The soul, therefore, which is identified with sin, must partake of this eternal process. That there is an external remedy we will confess: but we can readily perceive that the growing processes of sin must more and more repel this remedy. The history of a sinning soul, then, unfolds an ever-diminishing hope of reclamation.

V. THE EVIDENT TENDENCY OF CHARACTER TO ASSUME STABILITY IS INDICATIVE OF A HELL. This final stability is what we call second nature–the outcome and ultimate form of the plastic powers of the soul. Hence the welfare of the creature demands a limited probation. Mans happiness demands that he should be able to work towards an assured future: but the laws which facilitate stability in goodness must also facilitate stability in evil. Hence it will be seen why it is that the ambassadors of God are for ever proclaiming: Now is the day of salvation, and warning you to seek the Lord while He may be found. Hence it is we are telling you that the fittest time for giving yourselves to God is in your youth.

VI. CONCLUSION. Nature has told us there is a hell. Thus nature is a school-master to bring us to Christ. (Southern Pulpit.)

Proclamation of acceptance and vengeance

Notice well the expression, to proclaim, because a proclamation is the message of a king, and where the word of a king is there is power. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to announce the will of the King of kings. Nor let it be forgotten that a proclamation must be treated with profound respect, not merely by receiving attention to its contents, but by gaining obedience to its demands. There are three points in the proclamation worthy of our best attention.

I. JESUS PROCLAIMS THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD. There can be very little question that this relates to the jubilee year. The reason for all the jubilee blessings was found in the Lord.

II. THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD.

1. Whenever there is a day of mercy to those who believe, it is always a day of responsibility to those who reject it, and if they continue in that state it is a day of increased wrath to unbelievers.

2. Another meaning of the text comes out in the fact that there is appointed a day of vengeance for all the enemies of Christ, and this will happen in that bright future day for which we are looking.

3. However, I consider that the chief meaning of the text lies in this–that the day of vengeance of our God was that day when He made all the trangressions of His people to meet upon the head of our great Surety.

Look at the instructive type by which this truth was taught to Israel of old. The year of jubilee began with the day of atonement.

4. The day of vengeance, then, is intimately connected with the year of acceptance; and mark, they must be so connected experimentally in the heart of all Gods people by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, for whenever Christ comes to make us live, the law comes first to kill us.

III. THE COMFORT FOR MOURNERS DERIVABLE FROM BOTH THESE THINGS. To comfort all that mourn. Oh, ye mourners, what joy is here, joy because this is the year of acceptance, and in the year of acceptance, or jubilee, men were set free and their lands were restored without money. No man ever paid a penny of redemption money on the jubilee morning: every man was free simply because jubilee was proclaimed: no merit was demanded, no demur was offered, no delay allowed, no dispute permitted. Jubilee came, and the bondman was free. And now, to-day, whosoever believeth in Jesus is saved, pardoned, freed, without money, without merit, without preparation, simply because believeth. An equal joy-note rings out from the other sentence concerning the day of vengeance. I f the day of vengeance took place when our Lord died, then it is over. (C. H.Spurgeon.)

Preaching Gods judgment on sin

A member of the congregation, at the close of a sermon that lasted for an hour, and had been preached amid a stillness most painful, nothing heard but the tones of the preacher, and during the pauses the ticking of the clock–a sermon on the sad and awful issues of a sinful life, and the glory and the joy of a life lived in Christ–and, if Dr. Dale intends to preach like that I shall not come and hear him, for I cannot stand it; it goes through me. I spoke to Dr. Dale afterwards about the stillness and said it was simply awful. Ah! yes, he said; but it was more awful to me; it is hard to preach like that, but it must be done. (Gee. Barber, in Dr. Dales Life.)

To comfort all that mourn

Tears dried

Some seek to comfort by telling us that sorrow is wrong. They say that we should be brave and not allow our feelings to become so deep. It is true there may be excessive grief, and so grief may become sinful. But to say that we must not sorrow is to try to induce us to outrage our nature and to deprive us of one of the most effectual means whereby God educates and purifies. Christ is not come to deliver us from suffering, but to enable us to derive good from the suffering. How does Christ comfort all that mourn?

I. BY HIMSELF BECOMING THE SUFFERER FOR US, TO TAKE AWAY SIN. Christ bore the curse of it for us, and in doing this He removed the root of our mourning.

II. BY HIS SYMPATHY. He feels with us and for us, and by oneness with us in sorrow gives us comfort. Sympathy means suffering along with another. Job spoke of it when he said, Did I not weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

III. By showing us THE ORIGIN AND PURPOSE OF SUFFERING. Nowhere except in Gods revelation in Christ do we learn how and why affliction and sorrow come upon us. Our Lord Jesus Christ explains all. And His explanation goes down to the very root of the matter. Suffering is necessary in order that we enter into the fulness of Gods love in the gift of His Son. He who has received Christ as his Saviour is instructed, sanctified, made more meet for the Masters use, becomes more heavenly minded, by means of all the affliction through which his Heavenly Father causes him to pass. To suffer in Christ is to live more deeply. Love and sorrow are the two conditions of a profound life.

IV. BY ASSURING THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT THEY SHALL BE EVERLASTINGLY WITH HIM TO BEHOLD HIS GLORY. We learn–

1. That the comfort Christ imparts is effectual. It is not limited or partial. See how fully this is set forth in the passage with which the text is connected. What variety of imagery is used to picture to us the fulness and perfection of the remedy Christ brings for human guilt and misery. The healing He effects is for our whole nature, for heart, mind and conscience. He completely redeems and blesses.

2. The comfort Christ gives is enduring. It is no momentary or temporary assuaging of grief. It will never fail, it will increase in its influence and power.

3. The comfort Christ bestows is offered to all and is adapted to all. To comfort all that mourn. All ye that labour, etc. Whatever burden, whatever sorrow, there is in Him comfort for all. (G. W.Humphreys, B. A.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

To proclaim; to declare, as it respects the Jews, that their liberty is at hand.

The acceptable year, viz. the happy age of Gods grace, either which will be grateful and welcome news to them, or acceptable to God, a time wherein it pleaseth him to favour them; but this must be understood of a further extent than to Babylon, and rather unto mankind in Jesus Christ, Gal 4:4; Tit 3:4, called a time of Gods good-will in that angelical song, Luk 2:14, on the account of those good tidings which the angel brought, Isa 61:10,11; called so possibly from the arbitrariness and good pleasure of God, having no respect to any satisfaction from man.

Year; not precisely, as if Christ preached but one year, the mistake of some ancients, mentioned and refuted by Irenaeus, lib. 2. ch. 38; but for time indefinitely, and may include the whole time of preaching the gospel; see Rom 10:15; which I take to be the meaning of that now, 2Co 6:2, and probably hath a pertinent allusion to the year of jubilee, which was a general release proclaimed by sound of trumpet, which relates also here to the word proclaiming, Lev 25:10.

The day of vengeance, viz. on Babylon, it being necessary, that where God will deliver his people, he should take vengeance on their enemies; but mystically and principally on the enemies of his church, and the spiritual ones chiefly, viz. Satan, sin, and death.

That mourn; either by reason of their sufferings, or of their sins, Mat 11:28; or the miseries of Zion. See Poole “Isa 57:18“.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

2. acceptable yearthe year ofjubilee on which “liberty was proclaimed to the captives”(Isa 61:1; 2Co 6:2).

day of vengeanceThe”acceptable time of grace” is a “year”; the timeof “vengeance” but “a day” (so Isa 34:8;Isa 63:4; Mal 4:1).Jesus (Luk 4:20; Luk 4:21)”closed the book” before this clause; for the interval fromHis first to His second coming is “the acceptable year”;the day of vengeance” will not be till He comes again (2Th1:7-9).

our GodThe saints callHim “our God”; for He cometh to “avenge”them (Rev 6:10; Rev 19:2).

all that mournThe”all” seems to include the spiritual Israelitemourners, as well as the literal, who are in Isa61:3 called “them that mourn in Zion,” and towhom Isa 57:18 refers.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,…. Not an exact year, but time in general; for such are wrong, who from hence conclude that Christ’s public ministry lasted but a year, since it is certain, by the passovers he kept, that it must be at least three or four years; the whole time of Christ on earth was an acceptable and desirable time, what many great personages desired to see, and did not: this time may take in the whole Gospel dispensation, which was ushered in by Christ: the allusion, as before observed, is to the year of jubilee, when there was a proclamation of liberty; of release of debts; of restoration of inheritances, and of cessation from work; all which must make it an acceptable year: and this proclamation was made on the day of atonement; and Jarchi interprets the phrase here of a “year of reconciliation”; or “the year of atonement to the Lord”, as it maybe rendered s; this was made by the sacrifice of Christ, and is proclaimed in the Gospel, and makes a most considerable part of it. It may be rendered, “the year of the good will of the Lord” t; and such was the time of Christ’s coming on earth, to save men, and make peace and reconciliation for them, Lu 2:14 and was an “acceptable time” indeed; acceptable to the Lord himself; as were the incarnation of Christ, his obedience and righteousness, his sufferings and death, his sacrifice and satisfaction; since hereby the perfections of God were glorified, his purposes fulfilled, his covenant confirmed, and his people saved: acceptable to men; as were the birth of Christ; the things done by him; peace made, pardon procured, righteousness brought in, and salvation wrought out; all which must be acceptable to such who are lost, and know it, and are sensible that nothing of their own can save them; see 1Ti 1:15

the day of vengeance of our God; when vengeance was taken on sin, in the person of Christ; when he destroyed the works of the devil, the devil himself, and spoiled principalities and powers; when he abolished death, and was the plague and destruction of that and the grave; when he brought wrath to the uttermost on the Jews for the rejection of him, who would not have him to reign over them; and who will take vengeance on antichrist at his spiritual coming, and upon all the wicked at the day of judgment. Kimchi understands this of the day when God shall take vengeance on Gog and Magog.

To comfort all that mourn: that are under afflictions, and mourn for them; and under a sense of sin, and mourn for that; who mourn for their own sins, indwelling sin, and their many actual transgressions; and for the sins of others, of profane persons, and especially professors of religion; these Christ comforts by his Spirit, by his word and ministers, by his promises, by his ordinances, and by the discoveries, of pardoning grace and mercy,

s “annum placabilem Jehovae”, Vatablus; “annum placabilem Domino”, V. L. t Heb. “annum benevolentiae, seu bneplaciti Jehovae”, Piscator, Tigurine version; “annum complacentiae”, Vitinga.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

2. To proclaim the year of the good-pleasure of Jehovah. Here he expressly mentions the time of bestowing such distinguished grace, in order to remove the doubts which might arise. We know by daily experience how numerous and diversified are the anxious cares which distract the heart,. He affirms that he is the herald of future grace, the time of which he fixes from the “goodpleasure” of God; for, as he was to be the Redeemer of the Church by free grace, so it was in his power, and justly, to select the time.

Perhaps he alludes to the Jubilee, (Lev 25:10) but undoubtedly he affirms that we must wait calmly and gently till it please God to stretch out his hand. Paul calls this year “the time of fullness.” (Gal 4:4) We have likewise seen that the Prophet says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (Isa 49:8) Paul applies this to his own preaching; for, while the Lord addresses us by the Gospel, the door of heaven is thrown open to us, that we may now, as it were, enter into the possession of God’s benefits. (2Co 6:2) We must not delay, therefore, but must eagerly avail ourselves of the time and the occasion when such distinguished blessings are offered to us.

And the day of vengeance to our God. But those expressions appear to be inconsistent with each other, namely, “The day of goodpleasure,” and “The day of vengeance.” Why did Isaiah join together things so opposite? Because God cannot deliver his Church without showing that he is a just judge, and without taking vengeance on the wicked. He therefore employs the term “goodpleasure,” with reference to the elect, and the term “day of vengeance,” with reference to the wicked, who cease not to persecute the Church, and consequently must be punished when the Church is delivered. In like manner Paul also says, that “It is righteous with God to grant relief to the afflicted, (2Th 1:6) and to reward the enemies of believers who unjustly afflict them;” and the Jews could not expect a termination of their distresses till their enemies had been destroyed.

Yet we ought to observe the cause of our deliverance; for to his mercy alone, and not to our merits, or excellence, or industry, must it be ascribed, he appears, indeed, as I briefly remarked a little before, to allude to the Jubilee; but above all things we should attend to this, that our salvation lies entirely in the gracious will of God.

To comfort all that mourn. We ought to keep in remembrance what we formerly remarked, that the end of the Gospel is, that we may be rescued from all evils, and that, having been restored to our former freedom, and all tears having been wiped from our eyes, we may partake of spiritual joy. And if we are not partakers of so great a benefit, it must be ascribed to our unbelief and ingratitude, by which we refuse and drive away God, who freely offers himself to us.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(2) To proclaim the acceptable year . . .The Year of Jubilee is still, perhaps, in the prophets thoughts; but the chief point of the promise is the contrast between the year of favour and the single day of vengeance, reminding us of the like contrast in Exo. 20:5-6.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Ver. 2. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. ] The new and true jubilee, or year of releasement, called here in the Hebrew the year of good will, like as the elect are called the men of God’s good will. Luk 2:14 This year is now, 2Co 6:2 and the present now must be embraced and improved, since God is but a while with men in the opportunities of grace; which opportunities are headlong, and, once past, irrecoverable.

And the day of vengeance of our God. ] Tribulation to them that trouble his people. 2Th 1:6-7 Gog and Magog shall down in that day; all humans be hanged up at that royal feast, at the last day especially. Luk 19:27

To comfort all that mourn. ] This Christ did both by word and deed, and this must all his ministers do: “Comfort the feebleminded”; 1Th 5:14 not burdening men’s consciences with human traditions and merit of works. Popery is a doctrine of desperation.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

the acceptable year = the year of acceptance, or jubilee year (Lev 25:9, Lev 25:10). We may render: – A year of good-pleasure for Jehovah, [But] A day of vengeance for our God.

and the day of vengeance. Compare Isa 59:17; Isa 63:4. This is a notable example of how to rightly divide “the Word of truth”, when we observe that the Messiah, in quoting this prophecy concerning Himself in Luk 4:18, Luk 4:19, “closed the book”, and did not go on to quote further in Isa 61:20, because the former part of the prophecy referred to the then present time, and not to the future Dispensation of judgment. The Heb, accent separates these two clauses, indicated by “[But]”, above. Note that the vengeance is assigned to a “day”, in contrast with “year”.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

mourn. See note on Isa 3:26, and compare Mat 5:4.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Chapter III, The Acceptable Year Of The Lord

When once the break in the prophetic plan is seen as set forth in Daniel 9, one recognizes the fact that provision is made for this in prophetic interpretation throughout the entire Word of God. Prophecy has to do first with events connected with the nations in contact with Israel before and up to the coming of and rejection of the Messiah. Then there is a long interval during which, we learn from the New Testament, God is doing a work never mentioned in Old Testament times. Following this we have prophecies relating to the coming judgments at the time of the end and the Second Advent in power and glory of our Lord as He takes possession of the kingdom so long predicted.

A very striking instance is that of Isaiah 61; of which a portion was read and commented on by our Saviour at His first return visit to Nazareth, where he had been reared, after His baptism by John and the temptation in the wilderness. We are told by Luke that when He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and stood up to read, there was delivered unto Him the book of the Prophet Esaias, and when He had opened the book, He found the place where it is written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luk 4:16-19).

In the opening words of the next verse we read: And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. There is something here that is very significant. By turning back to Isaiah 61, we find that He finished reading at a comma, for there in verse 2 we read:

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified (Isa 61:2-3).

The remainder of the chapter speaks of the wonderful blessing which will come to the land of Palestine and the people of Israel in the last days.

Now when our Lord ceased reading in the middle of verse 2, He evidently had a very definite reason for it, and that reason is closely linked with what we have already been considering in our study of the great prophecy of the seventy weeks. One might suppose, if he had never considered the matter before, that the entire prophecy of Isaiah 61 would be continuous. There is nothing in this Old Testament passage to indicate otherwise; but by closing the book when He did, our Lord distinguished very definitely between His ministry connected with His First Coming and that which is to take place when He comes the second time. He ceased read- ing as He uttered the words, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. This introduced the Gospel Era. He did not read further because the day of vengeance of our God was not due to begin at that time, and, in fact, it has not yet begun.

In other words, our Lord put the entire dispensation of the grace of God in which we live into a comma. That comma represents a period of nearly two thousand years, at least. How much more, we cannot say. Not one other part of the prophecy has been fulfilled since the Lord closed the book. When Daniels last seventieth week begins, then the fulfillment of the rest of the prophecy will start, and soon every promise to the people of Israel will be confirmed.

The Lord Jesus came in lowly grace, preaching good tidings unto the meek. He came binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty to captives and the opening of prison to those who were bound. He preached the acceptable year of the Lord, but Israel rejected Him. They did not recognize in the lowly Nazarene the King whom they were expecting, and so they fulfilled other Scriptures in rejecting Him.

This left God free, if I may put it that way, to open up secrets that had been in His heart from before the foundation of the world, and so we have the glorious age of grace in which we live, the calling out of the Church from Jew and Gentile to be the body and bride of Christ, and to share His throne with Him in the coming age. During all this time Israel nationally is rejected. It is folly to maintain, as some do, that the British nation and kindred peoples are really Israel and that a distinc- tion is now to be made between Israel and the Jews. Before the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, God made this distinction, but since that time we find the terms Jew and Israelite used interchangeably. This will be seen clearly when we come to consider the great parenthetical portion of the Epistle to the Romans, chapters 9 to 11. During all this time Israel nationally is set to one side. They are lost, as it were, among the Gentiles. Individual Israelites may be saved by grace in the same way as individual Gentiles, but God is not dealing with the chosen nation as such.

When this age comes to an end and the Church of God has been caught away to be with the Lord, then will follow the awful period of judgment so frequently referred to in the prophetic Scriptures, the day of vengeance of our God. It will be the day when God will deal in judgment with apostate Christendom and apostate Judaism, when the vials of his wrath will be poured out upon the guilty nations who have rejected His Word, rejected His Son, and blasphemed His Holy Spirit. That day of vengeance is referred to again and again in the Scriptures under various names. It is called the great and dreadful day of the Lord, the time of Jacobs trouble, the great tribulation, the coming hour of temptation, and various other terms are also applied to it. It has nothing to do with the trials and tribulations through which the Church of God is now passing. For the Church, the entire period of her testimony here on earth is one of tribulation, even as our Lord said: In the world ye shall have tribulation, but in me ye shall have peace. And the Apostle Paul tells us: Ye must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God. But this is to be distinguished from what is emphatically called the Great Tribulation, which takes place after the Rapture of the Church and is the time when God will deal in wrath with the guilty nations of the world.

However, following this day of vengeance comes the time when the Lord will comfort all that mourn. He will return in power to Israel, and the remainder of this sixty-first chapter of Isaiah will have its glorious fulfillment. Note what is predicted in verses 3 to 7. In that day Zions mourning will be turned to joy; for the ashes of her blighted hopes will be given the beauty of acceptance with God. She will exchange the spirit of heaviness for the garment of praise, and restored Israel will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord; and all this that He might be glorified.

Then will come the blessing of the land, when Gods promise to Abraham that the land should be his and in possession of his seed forever, will be literally fulfilled. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, they shall repair the waste cities, and the desolations of many generations shall come to an end.

Israel will no longer be despised and hated by the nations. The Jew will not be looked upon with contempt and disapproval. Strangers from among the Gentiles, sons of the alien, will delight to serve Gods ancient people who themselves will be named the priests of the Lord, and will be recognized as the ministers of our God. Because of all the anguish and wretchedness they have endured throughout the centuries, they will receive in return of the riches of the Gentiles, and will grow in the favor God shall put upon them. Verse 7 is very significant. God will make up to them in a marvelous way for all that they have endured throughout the years of their wanderings, and this in their own land, where everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.

It will be at that time that the promise given through Jeremiah will be fulfilled. In the thirty-first chapter of his prophecy, we have a corroborative passage that is linked definitely with this passage in Isaiah.

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things. For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off. and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord (Jer 31:3-14).

Then the new covenant will be confirmed with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah according to the promise of verses 31 through 34:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake; although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more (Jer 31:31-34).

This is the covenant referred to in the eighth verse of Isaiah 61, where God says: I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. The closing verses of the chapter set forth the delight that God will have in His people in that day:

And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations (Isa 61:9-11).

Let us suppose that we were living in Old Testament times before the First Coming of our Lord Jesus to the earth, and that we were earnest students of the prophetic Word. Imagine, for instance, that we were puzzling over this wonderful portion of Isaiahs prophecy. Could we, by any possibility, realize through reading it that there was a great parenthesis between the two clauses, the acceptable year of our Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God? Daniel 9 is the key that unlocks the truth here as elsewhere, but this was not known at the time that Isaiah wrote. Therefore, we are told in the First Epistle of Peter, chapter 1, that the Old Testament prophets wrote of the coming of Christ, but were utterly unable to understand the times and the seasons connected with this glorious truth. Peter writes:

Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into (1Pe 1:10-12).

In other words, these Old Testament prophets wrote as they were borne along by the Spirit of God, and then, after putting pen to papyrus, they sat down and studied their own writings, pondering them thoughtfully, wondering just what all these marvelous promises could mean, and when they would be fulfilled. They wrote, as Peter again tells us, of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow, but of the interval between the two they knew nothing.

The strange thing is that many Christians ignore it today, and by failing to recognize the importance of this Great Parenthesis, they are in continual perplexity as to the time when prophecy is to be fulfilled.

Chapter III, The Acceptable Year Of The Lord

The remainder of the chapter speaks of the wonderful blessing which will come to the land of Palestine and the people of Israel in the last days.

Then the new covenant will be confirmed with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah according to the promise of verses 31 through 34:

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

acceptable year of the Lord

Observe that Jesus suspended the reading of this passage in the synagogue at Nazareth Luk 4:16-21 at the comma in the middle of Isa 61:2. The first advent, therefore, opened the day of grace, “the acceptable year of Jehovah,” but does not fulfil the day of vengeance. That will be taken up when Messiah returns 2Th 1:7-10 Cf.; Isa 34:8; Isa 35:4-10. The last verse, taken with the 4th, gives the historic connection: the vengeance precedes the regathering of Israel, and synchronizes with the day of the Lord.; Isa 2:10-22; Rev 19:11-21; Isa 63:1-6.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

the acceptable: Lev 25:9-13, Luk 4:19, 2Co 6:2

and: Isa 34:8, Isa 35:4, Isa 59:17, Isa 59:18, Isa 63:1-6, Isa 66:14, Psa 110:5, Psa 110:6, Jer 46:10, Mal 4:1-3, Luk 21:22-24, 1Th 2:16, 2Th 1:7-9

to comfort: Isa 25:8, Isa 57:18, Isa 66:10-12, Jer 31:13, Mat 5:4, Luk 6:21, Luk 7:44-50, Joh 16:20-22, 2Co 1:4, 2Co 1:5, 2Th 2:16, 2Th 2:17

Reciprocal: Num 36:4 – General Psa 92:4 – General Isa 40:6 – Cry Isa 49:13 – the Lord Isa 51:19 – by whom Isa 58:5 – an acceptable Isa 63:4 – General Jer 50:15 – for it Jer 51:24 – General Mal 4:6 – lest Mat 20:30 – two 2Co 7:6 – that comforteth Col 4:8 – and comfort 2Th 1:8 – taking Heb 10:30 – Vengeance Rev 6:10 – dost

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Isa 61:2-3. And the day of vengeance of our God Namely, on those who reject or neglect these gracious offers of mercy and salvation: they shall not only be left in their captivity, as they deserve to be, but shall be dealt with as enemies. We have the gospel summed up, Mar 16:16, where that part of it, he that believeth shall be saved, proclaims the acceptable year of the Lord to those that will accept it; but the other part, he that believeth not shall be damned, proclaims the day of vengeance of our God; that vengeance that he will take on those that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2Th 1:8; see also Heb 10:27-30; Mat 24:21; Rev 18:1. The clause seems to have an especial reference to the time in which God punished the unbelieving and disobedient Jews by the destruction of Jerusalem, and the unparalleled calamities that came upon their nation. We find Christ, in several of his discourses, threatening them with the judgments of God for their rejecting him. And he calls the destruction of Jerusalem the days of vengeance, Luk 21:22, the very expression made use of here. To comfort all that mourn Either on account of their sins, or their sufferings, or the desolations and miseries of the spiritual Zion, his church; and who, mourning, seek to him, and not to the world, for comfort. He not only provides comfort for them, and proclaims it, but he applies and bestows it by giving them the Comforter. There is enough in him to comfort all that mourn, whatever their afflictions or sorrows may be; but this comfort is sure to them that mourn in Zion, that is, that sorrow after a godly sort, and apply by faith and prayer to God in Christ for relief and consolation. To appoint unto them beauty Or rather, ornament, (as the Hebrew more properly signifies,) for ashes. Bishop Lowth renders the clause, To give them a beautiful crown instead of ashes; the oil of gladness instead of sorrow; observing, In times of mourning the Jews put on sackcloth, or coarse and sordid raiment; and spread dust and ashes on their heads: on the contrary, splendid clothing, and ointment poured on the head, were the signs of joy. The oil of joy Which makes the face to shine, instead of that mourning which disfigures the countenance, and makes it unlovely. This oil of joy the saints have from that oil of gladness with which Christ himself was anointed above his fellows. The garments of praise Such beautiful garments as were worn on thanksgiving days, instead of the spirit of heaviness. Hebrew, , contraction, dimness, or obscurity; open joys, says Henry, for secret mournings. Zions mourners keep the spirit of heaviness to themselves, and weep in secret; but the joy, with which they are recompensed, they are clothed with, as with a garment, in the eyes of others. Observe, reader, where God gives the oil of joy, he gives the garment of praise. Those comforts which come from God dispose the heart to, and enlarge the heart in, thanksgivings to God. That they might be called trees of righteousness That they might be righteous persons, deeply rooted by faith in the ground of gospel truth, solid and firm in sincerity, fortitude, and patience; ornaments to Gods vineyard, and bringing forth fruit suitable to the soil wherein they are planted. The planting of the Lord Planted by that holy Lord who, being himself holy and righteous, would plant none but such: see on Isa 60:21. That he might be glorified Namely, by the fruit they bear; for herein is our heavenly Father glorified, that we bring forth much fruit.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

61:2 To proclaim the {d} acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of {e} vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

(d) The time when it pleased God to show his good favour to man, which Paul calls the fulness of time, Gal 4:4 .

(e) For when God delivers his Church, he punishes his enemies.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Third, proclaiming good news means He would bring, for God, a year of favor and a day of vengeance. God’s favor would last much longer than His vengeance. A prolonged time of blessing is in view, followed by a short time of punishment for oppressors.

When Jesus Christ read this passage in the Nazareth synagogue and claimed that He fulfilled it, He stopped reading after "the favorable year of Yahweh" and did not read "and the day of vengeance of our God" (Luk 4:18-19). He meant that He was the Anointed One of whom Isaiah spoke, and that He had come to bring salvation. The day of salvation had begun (cf. Isa 49:8; 2Co 6:2). However, the day of vengeance would not begin until much later, specifically at the end of the Tribulation when He will return (cf. Isa 34:8; Isa 35:4; Isa 63:4; Dan 7:21; Dan 7:24-27; Mic 5:15; 1Pe 1:11; Rev 12:13-17; Rev 19:15-20). [Note: See Gary Yates, "The Use of Isaiah 61:1 (and 58:6) in Luke 4:18-19," Exegesis and Exposition 2:1 (Summer 1987):13-27.]

Fourth, announcing good news means the Anointed One would comfort those who mourn because they believe their sins have doomed them (cf. ch. 12; Isa 40:1-2; Isa 49:13; Mat 5:3-4). God would accept them in spite of their sin because of the Servant’s work.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

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