Isaiah 29:18, commentary and pictures

In that day the spiritually deaf hear the words of God's book and the spiritually blind come to understand as light enters the heart and brings them out of obscurity, gloom and darkness into sight. That day is the day of God's marvelous work and wonder, the day of the Messiah and of future deliverance when spiritual deafness and blindness are removed. It was fulfilled in the Messiah's revelation of God's glory and love when those outside the priests and rulers heard His teaching and were converted, and when sinners heard John the Baptist and Christ and repented and believed while the leaders who rejected them remained blind. Then the meek increase their joy in the Lord and the poor rejoice in the Holy One, the terrible one is brought to nothing and the scorner consumed, Jacob is no longer ashamed, and those who erred in spirit come to understanding and those who murmured learn doctrine. The promise still calls for God's Word to be studied and given entrance into the heart, for then it gives light and understanding even to the simple and opens deaf ears and blind eyes, with Christ's death, resurrection, intercession and the Spirit's work as the grand themes to be studied.

Meaning and Context

The deaf are those deaf in spiritual understanding and the blind are those blind in spiritual understanding, and the words of the book are the words of God's book, His Word and message, which they at last hear and understand as light enters the heart and brings them out of obscurity, gloom and darkness into clear sight. When God's Word is received and allowed entrance into the heart it gives light and understanding, so that those who were unable to understand it come to hear its message. In that day is the day when God proceeds to do His marvelous work and wonder, the day of the Messiah and of future deliverance and restoration, when spiritual deafness and blindness are removed.

Before this promise stands a people who draw near with mouth and honor with lips while the heart is far from Him, whose reverence and religion and fear are taught only by human precept and the precepts of men. Among them the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid. They seek to hide counsel from the Lord and work in the dark, saying no one sees or knows, and they turn things upside down as if the made thing could deny its Maker or the framed thing deny understanding to its Framer.

After the promise the meek increase their joy in the Lord and the poor among men rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. In that same day the terrible one is brought to nothing and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for iniquity are cut off, including those that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just for nothing and for a worthless thing. Jacob shall no longer be ashamed nor his face grow pale, and those who erred in spirit come to understanding and those who murmured or complained or went astray learn doctrine and true teaching. The promise means God removes spiritual deafness and blindness from formal professors who need conversion and lack sacrifice, faith and good works, and it stands alongside the hope that neglected, forbidding places can be renewed.

Fulfillment in Christ

In the Messiah's day the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind see out of obscurity and out of darkness, as part of His revelation of God's glory and love to humanity. The promise belongs to the future day of deliverance and the hope of Judah's restoration, when those unable to understand God's message receive it and those in spiritual darkness gain understanding. Then the meek increase their joy in the Lord and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel, those who erred in spirit come to understanding, and those who murmured and complained learn doctrine and true teaching.

That marvelous work took place at Christ's coming, when spiritual deafness and blindness in understanding were removed so that the deaf heard and the blind saw clearly out of darkness. People outside the authority of the priests and rulers heard His teaching, and they were converted, believed, and acknowledged Him.

Its fulfillment included sinners who heard John the Baptist and Christ, repented, and believed, entering into the light that had come. The religious leaders who rejected that preaching remained spiritually blind while those publicans and sinners heard God's message and saw the truth.

Call to Hear Today

The promise is a call for God's Word to be studied and given entrance into the heart, for when it is received those unable to understand it come to hear its message and those in spiritual darkness receive light and understanding even to the simple, with deaf ears opened to hear and blind eyes opened to see. The grand themes to be studied in the churches are Christ's death, resurrection, intercession, and the Holy Spirit's work, and when every church member gives the Word entrance it gives that light and understanding. This light from the Word stands in contrast to relying on one's own light, which ends in sorrow.

The same promise applies to the needed message of truth and righteousness and to gospel work among the poor, carried out through mercy, justice, and practical care, when the spiritually deaf hear the words of God's book and the spiritually blind see clearly, the meek rejoice and the poor find joy in God and those who erred come to understanding. The chapter portrays the true conditions in the world and calls those who have cast aside the truth and been deceived to return to the Lord. It warns against people whose eyes are blinded because they claim to teach while acting against God's word, with the promise that the blind will see pointing to a change from spiritual blindness to understanding, while those who persist in blindness will weaken God's work and dishonor the truth.

As God's description of the course pursued in Battle Creek by men supposed to be trustworthy, the larger passage means they violated the principles of the ten commandments, showing neither supreme love to God nor love to fellow men as to themselves, heartily disliking and despising anyone who questioned the course they thought themselves wise to pursue. It means the very men entrusted with a message for His people were not treated with respect, the message was rejected and, had the power been in their hands, the messengers sent would have been rejected also, with bitter feelings cherished against them that wait for a revival. It means that even if their mouths were stopped and their voices silenced, God would still have the message proclaimed, raising up others to do the work, even giving a tongue to the stones if no human voice could be heard.

The verse condemns revealing bitterness of spirit when ideas and will are crossed, cherishing the feelings of an unconverted man, thinking more highly of self than is right, speaking evil of brethren and judging motives, looking for evil and charging others when not accommodated, watching for opportunity to complain, setting a wrong example, making a great fire out of a spark and feeling abused when all does not harmonize, with wrath and malice. Such conduct, including making a person an offender for a word and laying a snare for one who reproves in the gate and turning aside the just for nothing, departs from the Word, disregards it, fails to live out the lessons of Christ and cannot be in harmony with Him. People must keep off the judgment seat, for all judgment is committed to the Son and words and works will be judged not by human light but by God's unerring standard. God speaks in His Word to those called to do His work, calling workmen now marked by discord, contention and strife to leave standing apart as independent atoms and to do their great and solemn work united under His supervision, in the day of His marvelous work and wonder among a people who honor Him with mouth and lips while the heart is far from Him and reverence is taught only by human precept, when the wisdom of the wise perishes.