Isa: 66:21 The Israelites were “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Exod: 19:6, NRSV), with special priests set apart to represent them as worship leaders. But in the future, some Gentiles would become worship leaders (Isa: 66:21). How would this change affect the renewed community of faith? See Matt: 28:19, Acts 26:20, Gal: 3:28, Col: 3:11, 1 Tim: 3:16. In God’s “new … Continue reading –>
Isa: 66:19-21 What is the meaning of survivors bringing people from the nations as an offering to the Lord? Isaiah 66.19-20. God sends survivors of His destruction out to the ends of the earth, to people who do not know about God, “and they shall declare my glory among the nations” (Isa: 66:19, NRSV). This is one … Continue reading –>
Read Isaiah 66:1-19. Keeping in mind the time in which Isaiah wrote, what is the basic message he is giving here? Through the prophet, God reiterates the appeal and warning that permeates the book: God will save and restore the humble, who tremble at His word (Isa: 66:2, Isaiah 66:5). As in Isaiah 40:1, He will comfort them (Isa: 66:13). … Continue reading –>
Read Isaiah 65:17-25. What kind of restoration does the Lord promise here? God promises a new creation, beginning with the words: “For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind” ( Isaiah 65.17-18, NRSV). In the city there will be no more weeping ( … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Isa: 65:17-25, Isa: 66:1-19, Isa: 66:19-21, Isa: 66:21, Isa: 66:22-24. Memory Text: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). One day, a 12-year-old boy, having just read a book on astronomy, refused to go to school. His mother took … Continue reading –>
“I Want to Plant a Church” By Andrew Mcchesney, Adventist Mission Julio Ovalle was bursting with enthusiasm when he returned home from a Global Mission conference organized for church members across Mexico. He excitedly told his wife, Maria Diaz, about what he had learned at the event in January 2017. “Now I want to plant … Continue reading –>
Further Study: See also Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 376-378; also The Desire of Ages, pages 236-243. “Jesus stood before the people as a living expositor of the prophecies concerning Himself. Explaining the words He had read, He spoke of the Messiah as a reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of captives, a healer of … Continue reading –>
Isa: 61:2 Amidst all the good news, why does the Messiah, as depicted in Isaiah 61, proclaim God’s vengeance? When is this prophecy fulfilled? When in Nazareth, Jesus, the Messiah, read Isaiah 61 as far as “to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor” (Isa: 61:2, NRSV; Luke 4:19, NRSV). Then He stopped and said, “Today this scripture … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 61:2 Who is speaking in Isaiah 61:1? The Spirit of God is on this anointed person, which means that he is a messiah or the Messiah. He is to “bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners” (Isa: 61:1, NRSV). Whom does that sound like? Compare Isaiah 42:1-7, … Continue reading –>
What is Isaiah 60.1-2 talking about? What principle do you see at work there that’s seen all through the Bible? What hope does it offer? In Isaiah 60.1-2, we are given a picture of God’s deliverance of His people, following the exile, expressed with the imagery of God’s creating light out of darkness and pointing forward … Continue reading –>
