The Great Messianic Feast...Isaiah Apocalypse pt 5

And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:6-10)

The City of Confusion has come down into ruins, and her proud towers are but a pile of rubble, and the Host from on High, as well as the Kings of the earth, are rounded up and wait sentencing in the Pit. God has triumphed marvelously. His Right Hand, King Messiah, has gained the victory, He has executed Divine Justice, and He reigns victoriously!

It is time for the long anticipated event, the ground of all true joy and happiness for the poor and meek of the earth, the Messianic banquet.

Moses was invited, with the elders of Israel, unto a foretaste of this, in Exodus 24,

Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.( Exodus 24:8-11)

This is a major theme of the teaching and ministry of Jesus; anticipation of the great Messianic feast. When Jesus saw true faith enacted by Gentiles, strangers to the covenant, He marveled, and warned Israel, that strangers would be there at the banquet, whilst the naturally expected Israelites could be rejected from it, such as in the story of the Roman Centurian,

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ( Matthew 8:10-12)

This Messianic Banquet was the fervent expectation and hope of all Pious Jews and Israelites. They expected to be there, and expected that only people such as they, observant, devoted, separated and Kosher, would be there as well. This is why one of them burst out with a blessing at Jesus’ mention of the afterlife, while sitting at table with him,

… thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. (Luke 14b-15)

Then Jesus launched into the parable of the great Wedding Feast, (Luke 14) which was a warning that many of those who would be expected to make it to the Banquet, and who were sure they themselves were going, just might well fall short of it. Much of jesus’ ministry was a warning against presumption about this, much as many in America presume that they will be going to heaven.

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.( Revelation 19:6-9)

This banquet is revealed as a Wedding Feast, in the book of Revelation, the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”. Thus the Bible begins with a wedding and ends with a wedding. Blessed are those who will sit at this supper. the Menu is choice steaks and fine Wine.

This will be the occasion of a double swallowing up of something very evil; the vail that covers and Death itself.

The text actually uses variations of the same word, in Isaiah 25 and reads thus, “He will swallow up in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people… Having swallowed up Death in Victory…”

And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.ESV

On this mountain He will swallow up the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; Berean Study Bible

And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. NASV

The vail which is swallowed up, is the separation between Heaven and Earth, the “glass darkly” which dims our vision of Spiritual things. The Goal has always been for God and man to dwell together.

Death in all of it’s forms is finally and irreversibly swallowed up through the victory of the LORD and His Messiah.

Therefore the tears of God’s saints will be wiped away by God himself. What a day! (Who do you allow to wipe away your tears? Who is that close to you?) God will be that close and that intimate on that blessed day. Even now, we know that He keeps our tears in a bottle.

Finally the reproach of Israel shall be wiped away, and she will be re-instated to her official and original dignity as Priests and Kings under God. The long night of exile will be over, the prodigal Son is restored and the ring, robe and shoes will be put upon the chosen nation.

Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Many centuries earlier, the High Priest of Israel had stood before a Secular Roman prefect, and denied the Kingship of God, saying “We have no King but Caesar!”. On that day the nation died (spiritually) but was kept in state, to undergo a long night of exile, wanderings, persecution, pogram and even holocaust. She was never taken out of existence, but instead she was put on display for all nations to see, as Moses warned them,

And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee.(Deuteronomy 28:37)

All of that is over now, The LORD has saved and redeemed his people, He has come to them in tender mercies, Now they rejoice with him at table.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

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When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ( Matthew 8:10-12)

Bad news for Theology-ville. The religious experts in Jesus' day had their settled doctrines and doctrinal camps, which were contrary to the actual Messiah who didn't meet the lockstep, consensus expectations of conventional, establishment wisdom.

Matthew 7
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

History is prophecy. Oh well. That means there are lots of ordinary, good-hearted people who will want to roll up their sleeves and help the guy out, to build that big dream together. What doesn't he know how to do? So much to learn and discover from him, and then go out and do. Every day, something new and exciting. A real inspiration. A man full of patience, love, compassion, understanding, healing, and hope --- informing the broken, demoralized and ostracized that their sins are forgiven so they can get up now.

Real positive teamwork, for example putting wood together to make stuff. Not that complicated. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

Whole-hearted Can-Do people welcomed in, bureaucratic Can't-Do people thrust out.

Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones...

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