Isaiah 56

Isaiah says that before the coming of Salvation of the Lord (v. 1c) and before His Righteousness is revealed (v. 1d) justice must be preserved and humanity must do righteousness. These are the requirements by heavenly law for perfection, the only state heavenly beings live and will live unto eternity. Christ is “blessed” “Who does this” (v. 2a). Like 2 Corinthians 5:21 says: “He [the Father] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. Blessed is the “Son of Man Who takes hold of it” (v. 2b). Taking hold of justice and doing righteousness is the keeping of the Torah including the Sabbath Command (v. 2c) since blessed is the human “who keeps from profaning the Sabbath”. Three times in this chapter this command is framed as important. Christ is the One Who “keeps his hand from doing any evil” (v. 2d). There are not two remnants, one for ethnic Jews and one for foreigners. Isaiah says the foreigner who joins himself/herself to the Lord (v. 3a) should not say “the Lord will surely separate me from His people” since there are no two groups at the end-time as Isaiah 52:10 also emphasized “in the sight of all the nations that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God”. The eunuchs should not lament that they are “dry trees” for if they keep the Sabbaths of the Lord, the seventh day Sabbath, and choose what pleases the Lord and not themselves or any human per se, their name will be written “which will not be cut off” (v. 5c). The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister, to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, and to “keep from profaning the Sabbath and holds fast My covenant (v. 6a-d). These are the people who will be brought to “My Holy Mountain” which is heavenly Zion and to “My house of prayer” which is the sanctuary of the Lord in Heaven. “It will be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (v. 7d). The process of gathering will work this way, says the Lord, those that will be gathered later during the Latter Rain will be added to those gathered through the generations past “the Lord God Who gathers the dispersed of [spiritual] Israel declares yet I will gather to them to those gathered” (v. 8a-b). Addressing then the problem through the ages since Isaiah, God said that humans are like beasts of the field which are in the forest. They are invited to “come to eat” (v. 9c). Humanity’s watchmen are “blind” (v. 10a); “all of them know nothing” (v. 10b); “all of them are dumb dogs unable to bark” (v. 10c); “dreamers lying down who love to slumber” (v. 10d). It is the problem of the church of Laodicea shortly before the Time of Trouble. The dogs are “greedy” (v. 11a) and their shepherds have “no understanding” (v. 11b). They have all turned their own ways each one to his unjust gain” (v. 11c-d). The attitude of these outsiders of the remnant is that they say to themselves in hedonistic terms that they should get wine and drink heavily for tomorrow will be like today, only more so (v. 12).

Dear God

It is evident that you want from us to keep the sanctity of the Seventh Day Sabbath,. You call it your Sabbath as opposed to Moses’ Sabbath during ceremonial feasts. Also we want to be included in this obedient following of your will as requested here relying on the perfection of Righteous doing of Christ who kept the Law perfect for us on our behalf. Amen.

Koot van Wyk, (DLitt et Phil; ThD) Kyungpook National University, Department of Liberal Education, Sangju, South Korea; conjoint lecturer of Avondale College, Australia