Gospel of Peace – Year of Favour and the Day of Vengeance
Recently, I was reminded of a “popular error” in exegesis held by some top American preachers of Universal Reconciliation as follows:
‘These writers claim two things regarding the Good News (Gospel): namely that there is NO more ‘wrath of God’ since Christ omitted it in Luke 4:19 while quoting Isaiah 61:2 and apostle Paul quotes the ‘Gospel of Peace’ in Ephesians 6:15 whilst omitting all the ‘vengeance of God’ in ‘returning evil to the evildoers during Judgment’ whilst quoting Isaiah 59:17 – 18′.
Reply:
This is FAR from the Truth written in these verses. What shocks me is that people actually easily believe ‘without checking it up with God’s Word’ as the ‘noble Berean attitude’ of checking with “Scripture ONLY” is clearly missing:
“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11, NASB)
Then, the other problem of popular American Christianity which is currently prevalent is that ‘any sharp rebuke’ regarding ‘correcting with Scripture’ is seen as ‘judgmental & unacceptable’ instead of ‘checking to see which claim is true’ against ‘what is written’ missing the point entirely and even not realising that such ‘sharp rebukes are entirely Scriptural’ as ‘it is written too’:
“This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;” (Titus 1:13, KJV)
This is not to say that everything that they write is un-Scriptural. They do have some points which are agreeing with Scripture & I check it against Scripture each time. I guess that the situation is similar in regards to exegesis across the spectrum of Christianity itself.
Let’s begin with regards to ‘their claim’ looking more closely at the verses quoted:
(i) It was a Focus and NOT an Omission
Christ Focused on the ‘Favourable Year of the LORD’ and did NOT read the ‘Day of Vengeance’ in Isaiah 61:2 as recorded in Luke 4:19.
Here are these verses:
“to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:19, BLB)
“To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,” (Isaiah 61:2, NASB)
(ii) One set of verses speak about God while the other speak about believers during this ‘same’ Day or Time-Period
Apostle Paul is quoting Isaiah 59:17 – 18 when writing Ephesians 6:13 – 17 with regards to “God vs Believers” respectively (different Roles) through ‘similar words’ such as ‘breastplate of righteousness’ which occur in both passages.
Here are these verses first:
“He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
According to their deeds, so He will repay,
Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will make recompense.” (Isaiah 59:17 – 18, NASB)
“Because of this, take up the complete armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all things, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod the feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace;
besides all, having taken up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” (Ephesians 6:13 – 17, BLB)
(iii) Meaning
We see proper exegesis from the verses quoted together with the verses surrounding it too:
But first, please consider:
“For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And we know our iniquities:
Transgressing and denying the LORD,
And turning away from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words.” (Isaiah 59:12 – 13, NASB)
Yes, we need to remove ‘lying words from our hearts first’ as the last verse above exhorts & be zealous toward repenting instead of being offended.
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” – Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 3:19, KJV)
“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” – Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:10, KJV)
Now, here are the ‘facts from Scripture’ regarding those verses quoted prior:
1) The Year of the LORD’s Favour is a different time than the Day of Vengeance
“To proclaim the Favorable year of the LORD
And the Day of Vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,” (Isaiah 61:2, NASB)
Please note that both time-periods exist (The Year of the LORD’s Favour vs The Day of Vengeance) as mentioned in the verse above.
2) The time NOW is the Gospel-age where the ‘favourable Year of the LORD’ is ‘being fulfilled’ in ‘their ears’
“And He (Lord Jesus Christ) began to say unto them — ‘To-day hath this writing been fulfilled in your ears;’ (Luke 4:21, YLT)
Now, as the YLT renders accurately, ‘being fulfilled in your ears’ means that ‘as they are hearing, it is coming to pass in Him (Christ)’ as the TIME for the ‘Favourable Year of the LORD’ has begun in which the Deeds of the Gospel (Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1) were about to be ‘carried out in ACTION too beyond being fulfilled in the ears’ all as it is written later.
3) The Context of these passages is the Gospel
These passages speak with regards to the Gospel as the phrase ‘Good News’ is found in both Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18 respectively as follows:
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring GOOD NEWS to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;” (Isaiah 61:1, NASB)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
because of which He has anointed Me
to preach GOOD NEWS to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim deliverance to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to send forth in deliverance the oppressed,” – Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18, NASB)
4) The Favourable Year of the LORD
The Favourable Year of the LORD is the Time-Period of the New Testament Age for which the Gospel is to be preached as the Deeds mentioned above is to be Done by Him (I refer to this current age as the Gospel-Age in which the age-during Gospel or age-during Good News is preached):
“This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” – Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:14, NASB)
“and this Good News of the Reign shall be proclaimed in all the world, for a testimony to all the nations; and then shall the ENDarrive.” – Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:14, YLT)
“And I saw another messenger flying in mid-heaven, having Good News age-during to proclaim to those dwelling upon the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people,” (Revelation 14:6, YLT)
Yes, this ‘Gospel’ is to the ‘current age only’ during this ‘Favourable Year of the LORD’ time period as ‘it is written’ clearly in Scripture.
5) The Gospel doesn’t apply healing and liberty to all yet
During this age-during Gospel-time of the Favourable Year of the LORD, not all will be healed nor set free (nor saved). Only ‘those who believe’ (e.g. Matthew 9:29, Matthew 15:28) experience this as just few verses later in Luke 4 itself we find our Blessed Saviour revealing this aspect of ‘how it is to be fulfilled’ (Luke 4:21) with regards to the Gospel Deeds of Luke 4:18 during this time period as follows:
“And He said, “Truly I say to you that no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
And in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, when there was a great famine upon all the land;
and Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath of Sidon, to a woman, a widow.
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.” – Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 4:24 – 27, BLB)
An example to see this truth: Please notice that only one leper, Naaman the Syrian (and NOT all lepers) was ‘cleansed’ during the time of Elisha the prophet (Luke 4:27) and Christ the Lord is drawing ‘an analogy’ as to ‘how the Gospel Deeds likewise’ (as mentioned prior in Luke 4:18, Context) is going to be ‘fulfilled in action’ (Luke 4:21) during this Gospel age or Favourable Year of the LORD time period (Luke 4:19), all in ‘context’ as ‘it is written’.
6) The Day of Vengeance of our God
What comes next at the ‘END’ of this ‘Gospel Age’ (as even Matthew 24:14 records this word END) agreeing with Isaiah 61:2 is the ‘Day of Vengeance of our God’ right after the time period of the Favourable Year of the LORD (the current Gospel age) is Fulfilled (clearly seen when these related verses are considered together, context).
Christ did NOT ommit the ‘Day of Vengeance of our God’ when reading Isaiah 61:1 – 2 as recorded in Luke 4:18 – 19 but rather STOPPED reading just before that.
Why is this so?
This is because our Blessed Saviour knows that these two time periods (The Year of the LORD’s Favour vs The Day of Vengeance) are distinct.
Christ the Lord is also teaching us that the ‘age-during Good News’ or Gospel is during the Favourable Year of the LORD under this New Covenant time-period of the “age” only of which He mentions is being “FULFILLED” in ‘their ears’ from the ‘time of that reading till now’ as Luke 4:21 clearly implies.
Lord Jesus Christ did NOT mention ‘The Day of Vengeance of our God’ as found in Isaiah 61:2 but NOT in Luke 4:19 simply because ‘The Day of Vengeance of our God’ is NOT during this age-during time for the Gospel but after the ‘END of this Gospel-age’ (implied by Matthew 24:14 & Revelation 14:6 quoted prior too).
Now Isaiah 59:17 – 19 speaks of God’s Role in this ‘Day of Vengeance of our God’ while Ephesians 6:13 – 17 speaks of ‘our human’ preparation aspect so that we will be ‘able to withstand or resist’ during this ‘Day of Evil’ as ‘it is written’:
“because of this take ye up the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to resist in the Day of the Evil, and all things having done — to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13, YLT)
How do we know that the ‘Day of Vengeance of our God’ is the ‘Day of the Evil’ (same Day) with regards to Judgment? Please consider this verse linking these two aspects describing it in the ‘same or similar” words:
“Ho, ye who are desiring the Day of Jehovah, Why [is] this to you — the Day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light,
As [when] one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him.
Is not the Day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?” (Amos 5:18 – 20, YLT)
All these are so clear in Holy Scripture, isn’t it?
“Yes, truth is lacking;
And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.
Now the LORD saw,
And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.
And He saw that there was no man,
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.” (Isaiah 59:15 – 16, NASB)
7) The Wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 1:10, Romans 5:9)
‘The Day of Vengeance of our God’ is an appointed Time period in which God Pours out His Wrath during Judgment returning the evil done by evildoers back to them as plenty of Scripture testifies to this Prophecy too.
The Book of Revelation describes that the ‘Wrath of God’ is only poured out from that time onward ‘directly’ upon the Earth through various Judgments as follows:
“From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” (Revelation 19:15, NASB)
Prophet Isaiah echoes this same Truth:
“I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment.” – God (Isaiah 63:3, NASB)
“He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
According to their deeds, so He will repay,
Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will make recompense.
So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a rushing stream
Which the wind of the LORD drives.” (Isaiah 59:17 – 19, NASB)
8) Is the Wrath of God Eternal?
No! as plenty of Scripture testifies to this too & God doesn’t change:
“Not for ever doth He strive, Nor to the age doth He watch.” (Psalm 103:9, YLT)
“He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.” (Psalm 103:9, KJV)
“For, not to the age do I strive, nor for ever am I wroth, For the spirit from before Me is feeble, And the souls I have made.” (Isaiah 57:16, YLT)
“For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the breath of those whom I have made.” (Isaiah 57:16, NASB)
I repeat, here is the question again:
“To the age art Thou angry against us? Dost Thou draw out Thine anger To generation and generation?” (Psalm 85:5, YLT)
Here is the answer from Scripture from verses just prior to it and subsequent to it (NOT my opinion but ‘verses ONLY’):
“Thou hast borne away the iniquity of Thy people, Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Thou hast gathered up all Thy wrath, Thou hast turned back from the fierceness of Thine anger.
Turn back [to] us, O God of our salvation, And make void Thine anger with us.” (Psalm 85:2 – 4, YLT)
and,
“Dost Thou not turn back? Thou revivest us, And Thy people do rejoice in Thee.
Show us, O Jehovah, thy kindness, And Thy salvation Thou dost give to us.
I hear what God Jehovah speaketh, For He speaketh peace unto His people, And unto His saints, and they turn not back to folly.” (Psalm 85:6 – 8, YLT)
9) The Israel Focus
Israel contains those who have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit to the other transgressors who have committed great sins against the Law too.
However, God proves His Faithfulness to ‘Save’ them DESPITE their sins (and likewise, DESPITE our sins) as mentioned in verses surrounding Isaiah 59 itself (‘Context’) as we see briefly next:
“And come to Zion hath a redeemer, Even to captives of transgression in Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah.
And I — this [is] My covenant with them, said Jehovah, My Spirit that [is] on thee, And My words that I have put in thy mouth, Depart not from thy mouth, And from the mouth of thy seed, And from the mouth of thy seed’s seed, said Jehovah, From henceforth unto the age!” (Isaiah 59:20 – 21, YLT)
Yes, it agrees to ‘ALL Israel being Saved’ in the END of the ‘Day of Vengeance’ too:
“And come to Zion hath a redeemer, Even to captives of transgression in Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah.
And I — this [is] My covenant with them, said Jehovah, My Spirit that [is] on thee, And My words that I have put in thy mouth, Depart not from thy mouth, And from the mouth of thy seed, And from the mouth of thy seed’s seed, said Jehovah, From henceforth unto the age!” (Isaiah 59:20 – 21, YLT)
Isaiah 59 mentions this chronology of events where Isaiah 59:1 – 15 speaks of Judgment with Focus against Israel’s sins first, Isaiah 59:16 – 19 speaks of His Judgment against other nations and in Isaiah 59:20 – 21, He reveals that DESPITE all these sins, He Will still Save ALL Israel and the ‘enemy state’ is a temporal state while ‘being beloved or loved’ is the ‘elected state’ (Romans 11:28 – 29).
This ‘Salvation’ of ALL Israel spoken of here is mentioned in Romans 11:26 – 27 as beyond a ‘nationalistic salvation’ and further as a ‘Deliverance from their Sins’ (implying reconciliation to God, Romans 11:27) and ‘that Deliverer from Zion’ is Christ Himself (Romans 11:26, Isaiah 59:20).
10) The Last Great Mystery of Christ
So, we see that the “end” mentioned in Matthew 24:14 speaks of the ‘end of this current Gospel age’ (Matthew 28:20).
The “end” implied by the Day of Vengeance results in ‘Salvation for Israel’ (Isaiah 59:20 – 21).
Now does it mean that ONLY ALL Israel is Saved? No!
As it was ‘not’ revealed in the ‘earlier ages’ to the ‘sons of men’ (so it was NOT written down in Isaiah 59 above though prophet Isaiah himself could have known it by his MOUTH, Amos 3:7 & Acts 3:21) please consider:
“that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,” – apostle Paul (Colossians 1:26, NASB)
This Great Mystery includes the following:
“and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace by the Blood of His Cross through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.” (Colossians 1:20, BLB)
Which ‘all things’?
‘ALL created things’ (‘context’ or definition) found just a few verses prior first:
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16, NASB)
That’s why when apostle Paul quotes some parallels from Isaiah 59:20 – 21 when he is inspired to write Romans 11:25 – 27 (please note the word ‘Mystery or Secret’ in Romans 11:25), he mentions that the ‘implication of Salvation’ is NOT to ‘Israel only’ but to the Gentiles too (Romans 11:11, Romans 11:25, Romans 11:32) which includes the ‘whole world’ (or ‘all creation’) too! (Romans 11:15, Romans 11:12) agreeing perfectly with ‘other verses’ which describe This Mystery as well (e.g. Ephesians 1:8 – 11, 1 Corinthians 15:24 – 28) and God finally becomes ‘All in All’.
“Oh, the Depth of the Riches of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God!
How unsearchable His judgments,
and His Paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the Mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His Counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?” – apostle Paul (Romans 11:33 – 35, NASB)
Maranatha! Even so come, Lord Jesus.
‘Blessed Saviour of the World’
