“And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”

Students of the Bible will find these words familiar. They remind of ones found in the books of 1 Corinthians and in the Revelation. Like many prophecies in the Old Testament, these words have been fulfilled, and are yet to come.

The first promise is the destruction of the covering cast over all the people, the vail spread over all nations. Both phrases describe the same thing. In the tabernacle, a vail was hung before the Holy of Holies, in which was placed the ark of the covenant. Nobody except the high priest was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies. Only once a year was he allowed to go in. The book of Hebrews says that this showed that the way into the presence of God was not yet revealed (Hebrews 9:8).

When the LORD Jesus Christ died on the cross, He shouted, “It is Finished!” and the vail in front of the Holy of Holies was torn in two, from the top to the bottom. Upon Jesus’ death that vail was torn from above. Thus, the way into the Holy of Holies, God’s presence, was now made available. This all happened because of the sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ. This is the first fulfillment of this promise in Isaiah 25.

Philippians 2 teaches that the day is coming when all nations will see Jesus for Who He is. The hidden things of God will be revealed, and every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father. In that day the vail concerning Who Jesus is will be removed from before all nations; all will acknowledge Him as Lord. This is the future fulfillment of this promise in Isaiah 25.

Next, we read in Isaiah 25 that He will swallow up death in victory. This, too, has a dual fulfillment. Through the sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ, death has been defeated. Our sin, which held us in eternal death, was forgiven. Those who have the LORD Jesus Christ as their Savior are assured of eternal life. Those who don’t are assured of eternal death. Eternal death has been swallowed up in victory for those that have received eternal life.

Certainly, physical death has not stopped. But, a day is coming when the specter of physical death will also be swallowed up in victory. A glimpse of that is seen in the resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ. His death was surely swallowed up in the victory of resurrection. He is called the firstfruits of them that are resurrected. This means that His resurrection is not the only one. Neither will it be the last! His was simply the first.

The third promise in Isaiah 25 is that God Himself will wipe away tears from off all faces. For those that have the LORD Jesus Christ as their Savior this is true in many ways. God’s presence and comfort are promised to us in the trials of life. God is called faithful. He goes through all of our trials with us.

But one day, in God’s eternal presence, tears will be wiped away, and nothing will be left except eternal joy, as promised in the book of Revelation. While tears are still shed on this earth for now, at the coming of the LORD Jesus Christ a new government will be established with Jesus as head. Then, there will be a new heaven and new earth. Old things will be passed away including tears and pain and sorrow (Revelation 21:4).

The last promise in Isaiah 25 is that He will take away the rebuke of His people from off all the earth. Sin is a rebuke to all people. When the LORD Jesus Christ came, the curse of sin was taken away in His sacrifice on the cross. The wrath of God due to all mankind for their sinful nature, and the resultant sin, was poured out on Jesus. Those who know Jesus as Savior are no longer under God’s rebuke.

Meanwhile, those who are God’s people endure the rebuke of the world, which rejects Jesus and God. God’s people suffer for their faith in God in many ways, even cruelly, at the hands of those that reject Him. But, the day is coming when that rebuke will be done away, too. He promises that He will take it away from off the whole earth. In that day, all of God’s children will be seen for who they are, and God will be glorified!

Finally, Isaiah 25 says that the LORD has spoken these things. His Word is sure. The Bible says that it is impossible for Him to lie. The things described in Isaiah 25:7, 8 have and will come to pass because they are God’s Word. He will perform what He promised, as noted in the beginning of verse 7. For those that are God’s these verses are a great assurance. For those that aren’t, here is a great warning, to be ignored at great peril. Either way, these promises have come to pass, and will come to pass. God has promised.

Standing on the promises of Christ my king,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain (R. Kelso Carter)