Isaiah 59:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet, He also speaks of the blessings that will be granted to them in the last days: He will come to redeem Zion for its own sake since the only begotten Word of God descended from heaven, took on human flesh, and humbly exhausted Himself to call to Israel primarily and to save countless Gentiles as well. The wise Paul illustrates this truth, stating, ‘But I say that Christ Jesus became the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers, and to glorify God through grace’ (Rom. 15:8, 9). We must also remember Christ's declaration, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ (Matthew 15:24). Therefore, He comes to deliver from sin, death, decay, the malevolence of the devil, deceptions, and the dominion of demons. The covenant spoken of by the Lord signifies that what was decreed by God's will and promise remains immutably established and will never be annulled. What covenant will be of Me? The Lord affirms that His Spirit and Words given to you will endure eternally. The clearest evidence of humanity’s redemption and the earlier belief of the Israelites lies in the gift of the Holy Spirit, which grants the glory of sonship and the ability to speak forth the word of faith, as articulated by Paul: lest you say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven, or bring Christ down, or who will descend into the abyss, to bring Christ back from the dead?' But what does Scripture declare? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the message of faith that we proclaim: that if you openly acknowledge Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with the heart one believes and attains righteousness, and it is with the mouth one confesses and is saved (Rom. 10:6-10). Thus, we have received the word of faith or confession from God: it is life-giving and delivers the truth. Through this, Christ justifies the ungodly, as was proclaimed long ago, ‘Behold, I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a mist’ (Isaiah 44:22). This word of faith will remain in us perpetually, always on our lips, and we shall pass it down through generations, ensuring our descendants are justified; for if Christ, who is God and Lord, abides forever, the declaration of faith in Him will endure in those who have witnessed His manifestation.

My Spirit within you and the words I have given you shall not cease from your mouth, nor from the mouths of your descendants from this time forward and for all generations.

When the Lord dons the armor of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, garments of vengeance, and a cloak of zeal, He will engage in battle to execute retribution upon His foes and recompense His adversaries, destroying their territories, which signify cities and towns. Then, people from the west and east shall come to find solace in the embrace of Abraham, as it is also noted that they shall come from afar—from the west, the north, and Persia—with a reverence for the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom. The Scriptures affirm this in numerous passages, such as: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord (Psalm 111:1), and: There is no want for those who fear Him (Psalm 34:10), and: The fear of the Lord is discipline and wisdom (Proverbs 15:33). Furthermore, it echoes: Come, children, listen to me; I will instruct you in the fear of the Lord (Psalm 34:12), blessed is the man who fears the Lord (Psalm 127:5), and: The fear of the Lord prolongs life (Proverbs 10:27).

Moreover, the prophet Malachi elaborates on how, after Israel's rejection, the place will be taken by many Gentiles. He conveys to the Jews: My will is not fulfilled in you, says the Lord of Hosts, nor will I accept sacrifices from your hands (Malachi 1:10). Speaking of the Gentiles, it is declared: For from the sunrise to the sunset, my name will be honored among the nations (Malachi 1:10). The source of this blessedness is the one who comes like a tumultuous river, stirred by the Spirit of the Lord—or, as Aquila puts it, a narrow river with the Spirit of the Lord as its emblem, or according to Theodotion, a contrasting river sealed with the Spirit of the Lord.

The last part of this testimony, which the Septuagint describes as a furious river sweeping in, is not found in the Hebrew text. In divine promises, there should be no mention of wrath and anger; rather, the subsequent portions provide blessings for the future and chastisement for the unrepentant. Yet, as Aquila and Theodotion suggest, the Spirit of the Lord, which is sanctified in Christ, is affirmed by the words recorded by the Evangelist John: This is the provision of God (John 6:27). This was foreshadowed by the proclamation: A shoot will arise from the root of Jesse, a blossom will emerge from his root, and the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him— the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and reverence for the Lord will fill Him (Isaiah 11:1-3).

Thus, we affirm: The light of Your countenance is upon us, O Lord (Psalm 4:7). Ezekiel bore the mark of the letter tav, the last Hebrew letter, upon the foreheads of those who grieved (Ezekiel 9). To comprehend how the Holy Spirit acts as a turbulent river, we can refer to the Acts of the Apostles: When they were assembled, a sound like a mighty wind came from heaven, filling the whole house where they were staying. Divided tongues appeared to them like fire, resting on each of them. All were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). Then it is affirmed: The Redeemer of Zion and those who turn from their sins in Jacob shall come, says the Lord. Alternatively, the Seventy translated it: He shall come from Zion, who shall redeem and turn away the evil from Jacob.

If from Zion emerges one who will remove iniquity from Jacob, we acknowledge that this person was born in Zion, and the Most High established it, removing the transgressions of Jacob. The Redeemer of Zion, who also turns from iniquity those who will repent, fulfills the words of the Lord: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34). Thus, those in Zion will be redeemed, and those in Jacob who accept Him will draw near, and He assures them, stating, This is My covenant with them—as all translations convey—or agreement, as rendered by the Septuagint.

What constitutes this covenant is clarified in the following statement: My Spirit, says He, which is in you, and My words imparted to you shall not depart from your lips, nor from your offspring’s lips, from now and for eternity. This is interpreted either as directed to Isaiah, as I assert, or to the Lord, as many believe. Thus, concerning Isaiah, the flow of discourse suggests: This is the everlasting covenant of the gospel: My Spirit dwelling within you and My words placed in your mouth shall not cease from your mouth or that of your children and grandchildren—implying all succeeding generations—because the grace of the prophets transfers to the apostles and, through them, to the believers of Israel. The phrase From this time forth and forever reflects the testimony: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35).

In further elucidation, Paul outlines in Romans that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; there is one Lord who is rich to all who call upon Him (Romans 10). It is not the case that the faith of the Gentiles will entirely exclude Israel. For even I, he states, am an Israelite, of the lineage of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. I will not reject His people, for I will prioritize them (Romans 11:1-2). After illustrating the example of Elijah, who bemoaned to the Lord that he was the last left, and received acknowledgment that God had preserved seven thousand men who had not bowed to Baal (1 Kings 19), he affirmed: Even now, there remains a remnant chosen by grace. If by grace, it is no longer dependent on works; otherwise, grace is void if it relies on works. However, Israel sought it and did not attain it, while the elect did, and the rest were hardened. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they shall be grafted in again; for God is capable of reinserting them (Romans 11:5-7, Romans 11:23)—not contrary to nature, like the wild olive branches, as the multitude of Gentiles is grafted in, but naturally—into their own olive tree. Ultimately, to reach this current point, he proclaimed: I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brethren, so that you may not be wise in your conceits; for a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and in this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, and this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins (Romans 11:25-27).

We have presented this with particular attention so that all promises concerning Zion and Jerusalem, which we have examined, are applicable not universally to all Jews but specifically to those chosen from Israel through the Apostles.