Isaiah Chapter 25 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Isaiah 25:1
ADONAI, you are my God. I exalt you, I praise your name. For you have accomplished marvels, [fulfilled] ancient plans faithfully and truly.
This song begins with the acknowledgement that there really only is one God and he is in control. In Hebrew, the "wonderful things" is "pele" which actually speaks of a miracle. In this case, it is talking about the miracle of Yeshua Messiah stepping in and defeating the armies of the earth that were led by Satan. We also see that this victory was a part of God's plan from the beginning of time and that he kept his promise to deliver his people. When delivered from a situation such as the approach of this tremendous army led by Satan, the normal reaction is to celebrate the victory and sing about it. It was indeed a miracle as there was a huge army attacking Jerusalem and, with a word from his mouth, the army was slain. (see Revelation 19)
Isaiah 25:2–3
For you have made a city a heap of stones, turned a fortified city into rubble, made the foreigners' fortress a city that will never be rebuilt. Therefore mighty peoples glorify you, the city of ruthless nations fears you.
We do not exactly know what specific cities are being talked about here but we can make some educated guesses. They are probably the capitol cities of the nations as well as a chief city that was the headquarters of the world government that was set up and ran by the beast. We do not know the name of this chief city but it will be a city that is completely destroyed by the hand of God. The people from these nations will now be forced to acknowledge the hand of God and the fact that Jerusalem is his chief city.
Isaiah 25:4–5
For you have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in distress, shelter from the storm, shade from the heat for the blast from the ruthless was like a storm that could destroy a wall. Like desert heat, you subdue the foreigners' uproar; like heat subdued by a cloud's shadow, the song of the ruthless dies away.
The song continues with rejoicing over the fact that man's schemes have failed and Jerusalem is now a haven for God's children. The word that is translated here as "have been" is "hayah" and it actually means more like "have become". This speaks to the fact that the remnant of God's people suffered tremendous persecution under the world system but, now, they are taken care of by Yeshua Messiah who reigns from Jerusalem. The "song of the ruthless" speaks of the lie that man could band together to overcome the will of God for his city and people.
Isaiah 25:6
On this mountain ADONAI-Tzva'ot will make for all peoples a feast of rich food and superb wines, delicious, rich food and superb, elegant wines.
This period will be a time when the nations bring their best to Jerusalem in honor of the Lord. This feast is a stark contrast to the time of suffering and shortage that the world has just been through. The bringing of their best into Jerusalem is a sign of acknowledgement that Yeshua is, in fact, the King of Kings.
Isaiah 25:7–8
On this mountain he will destroy the veil which covers the face of all peoples, the veil enshrouding all the nations. He will swallow up death forever. Adonai ELOHIM will wipe away the tears from every face, and he will remove from all the earth the disgrace his people suffer. For ADONAI has spoken.
The final part of this song begins with praise for the fact that the shame and mourning of God's people has been removed and there is great joy. There will be no more death for his people and no more sorrow as they are a bright and shining example for the rest of the world.
Isaiah 25:9
On that day they will say, "See! This is our God! We waited for him to save us. This is ADONAI; we put our hope in him. We are full of joy, so glad he saved us!"
The people of God will sing and dance for joy as they celebrate the day that they had waited on for many years. They will rejoice in the fact that God has removed the shame from his people.
Isaiah 25:10–12
For on this mountain the hand of ADONAI will rest. But Mo'av will be trampled down where they are, like straw trampled into a pile of manure. They will spread out their hands in Mo'av, like a swimmer using his hands to tread water; but their pride will be humbled and sunk, no matter how clever the strokes of their hands. Your high, fortified walls he will level, strike to the ground, lay in the dust.
This period of time (Millennial Reign) will be a time of separating as well as uniting. The passage speaks of the hand of God parting the Moabites from his people much like a swimmer parts the water with an open hand. So, why is God parting the Moabites and who do they represent? We see the answer to the question of why in Deuteronomy 23 as God declared that they would be excluded from the assembly of his people. This was because of the fact that they had attempted to hire Balaam to curse God's people. Here, they are representative of all of the people of the earth that are enemies of Yeshua Messiah and his people. Who are the enemies of Yeshua Messiah? All of those who deny the fact that he is the son of God who takes away the sin of the world. Those who have placed their trust in Yeshua Messiah will be united with fellow believers in celebration. Meanwhile, those that reject him will be prepared for the final judgment which is separation and Hell.