Isaiah
66:18–23—The LORD promises to bring all nations to Him at
Jerusalem
In this, the last chapter of the great Gospel-drenched
Book of Isaiah, the Lord speaks to His faithful. They will rejoice at the
revelation of His glory, especially at the Last Day, when this present age
shall pass away and God will bring forth new heavens and a new earth. The
adoration of the Lord by the faithful shall never cease. Tragically, however,
the torment of those who have rebelled against the Lord shall also not cease.
Let us, then, ever remain faithful to the Lord and to His Word, that we may be
counted among those whom the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, brings in from all
the nations.
Many think of Isaiah as the great evangelist of the
Old Testament. This reading offers proof that this prophet is truly the bringer
of good news for all people.
Two major themes appear in the verses of our Old
Testament lesson. The one is the emphasis on the glory of God and the other is
the message that all nations will be brought to that glory. The inclusion of
all nations is one of the marks of the new age and gives the reader an obvious
connection to the New Testament, where the theme of newness is so apparent.
The glory of God is very closely connected to salvation
history in the Old Testament. The link with the New Testament might best be
those sayings of Jesus in which He refers to His glory. It is clear from these
sayings that the real glory of Christ was not some magnificent, radiant nature,
but rather, the glory of suffering on the cross for the sin of the world.
Collect for Proper 16 O Lord, You have called us to enter Your kingdom through the narrow door. Guide us by Your Word and Spirit, and lead us now and always into the feast of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. [2]
Collect for Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 10: O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong and nothing is holy, increase and multiply your mercy on us that we with you as our Ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen [3] -17 August 2022[1] Face of Christ: © copyright Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] Collect for Proper 16, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3] Collect for Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 10, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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