On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
Isaiah 25:6-8 (ESV)
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
Much of Isaiah is a message of impending doom for Israel and the nations surrounding her. God’s judgment is coming. And it will not be pretty. But periodically, a light shines out in the darkness. And this passage is one of those little beams of light.
“On this mountain” refers to the “mountain of the Lord” found in Isaiah 2:2-3 and 66:20, the New Jerusalem. It is where God has his throne. And it is where people come to worship him.
And on this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make a feast for all people. Feasts were times of celebration. And this one would have the best of food and drink. It is reminiscent of the parable of the wedding banquet that Jesus told in Matthew 22:1-14.
Who is invited to the feast? It is for all people, regardless of their ethnic identity. However, as the parable of the wedding banquet made clear, not all will attend. But people will come from all over the world (Isa. 66:18-20, Luke 13:28-29).
For those who come to the feast, the Lord will swallow up death forever, the covering or veil that had been cast over all peoples. Death will be swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54-57).
God will wipe away every tear (Isa. 65:19, Rev. 7:17, 21:4). There will be no more crying, grief, or pain. Instead, there will be joy and gladness in the presence of our Lord.
And God will remove the reproach of his people. We will no longer be looked down on, condemned, or treated poorly. Instead, we will share in Christ’s eternal glory (1 Pet. 5:10).
The Lord has spoken. While the details are sparse, we can confidently look forward to this. We have the Lord’s word on it.
