Isaiah 26:19-21

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Summary

• Resurrection and the Day of Judgment/Justice. There are striking similarities between the brief comments mentioned here and various prophetic themes found in the New Testament. (As with all other teachings, the New Testament greatly expands these concepts.)

Details and/or Comments

• See Isaiah 24:1-23 (Details/Comments section) for an outline of the basic theme of Isaiah 24-27.

• The context of these verses (the rest of chapter 26) ...

Chapter 26 context Part 1: This is connected with chapter 25, perhaps a response to the glorious things God will do: 26:1-6 - Song of praise and deliverance; encouragement to trust in Yahweh! Part 2: How should the righteous respond when judgment hits? 26:7-11 - A distinction is made between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous have a "smooth path" (i.e., they follow God's ways); they long for God and learn through judgment. In contrast, the wicked do not recognize righteousness, and only learn about it when judgment consumes them. 26:12-18 - Repentance and acknowledgment of sins and failure (perhaps including discouragement). You (God) blessed us, to your credit (v. 12-15). You disciplined us, for we have failed (v. 16-18). 26:19-21 - Encouragement A promised resurrection; be patient during judgment, for Yahweh will come and bring justice.

• Note the contrast - resurrection for the righteous who were dead (in this context, perhaps killed); justice for those who are guilty of bloodshed.

Scripture

Isaiah 26:19-21

Scripture Passage	Comments and Links
Isa 26:19 Your dead shall live. My dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast forth the dead.	The immediate context could suggest a focus on the restoration of Israel. But the greater context of end-time events (chapters 24-27) seems to focus on the future resurrection of people from the dead (perhaps emphasizing the resurrection of righteous Jews). Both concepts may be in view here. (Other Scriptures show that both will occur.) Restoration of Israel Resurrection from the Dead The physical resurrection of the body is mentioned in Daniel 12:2. On the other hand, the concept of resurrection is used figuratively for the restoration of Israel, in Ezekiel 37:1-14.
Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter into your chambers, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past.	Patiently wait for God's judgment against the wicked (as described in the next verse). The Need for Patience This verse is reminiscent of the Passover, when God killed the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 12). Only those who stayed inside (with the blood of the lamb sprinkled on the doorposts of the house) were spared. (In the New Testament, Jesus tells his followers to flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:16 & Mark 13:14b & Luke 21:21a; but that is a reference to an enemy attack, not to God's judgment of the people.)
Isa 26:21 For, behold, Yahweh comes forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also will disclose her blood, and will no longer cover her slain.	This statement parallels some of the "end times" comments made in previous chapters. All sin will be judged; but the emphasis here is on justice for those who have been murdered (something the wicked often do to the righteous). Right now, the blood/bodies of the slain are "hidden" in the earth. On the Day of Judgment (or from the perspective of the murdered, the Day of Justice, it will no longer be so; those who are guilty of murder will be punished. Though this is a general statement (applicable to all bloodshed, all the way back to Abel), it has special relevance to the blood of the righteous, who are often singled-out to be murdered by the wicked (especially in the "end-times"). The Judgment of the Wicked Day of Judgment Day of Justice Murder, Bloodshed

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—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——

The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.

Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.