Isaiah 29:23
But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
When he sees his children in the midst of him, they are the work of God's own hands, His handiwork and workmanship, gathered and restored among His people, and the sight of them leads to sanctifying His name, revering the Holy One of Jacob, and fearing the God of Israel. The surrounding prophecy describes a people restored to understanding and true teaching, whose lives bear witness to truth and righteousness. It belongs to the day when the deaf hear the words of the book and the blind see out of obscurity and darkness, when the meek increase their joy in the Lord and the poor rejoice, and when the terrible one is brought to nothing and the scorner and all that watch for iniquity are cut off. In that day Jacob shall not be ashamed and his face shall not grow pale, and they that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
It is the result of God's work among people who hear Christ, are converted, and acknowledge Him, with repentant people becoming God's children and honoring His name when gathered among His people. Publicans and other sinners who accepted John's message and believed in Christ exemplify those children. The promise applies to Jews who receive God's salvation, with many receiving Christ as Redeemer and some proclaiming His unchanging law. The chapter portrays conditions in the world today and calls people who have turned from truth and been deceived to return to God.
The passage from verse 9 to verse 24 will be fulfilled to men who claim to be teachers yet act out its principles, taking truth without conversion in heart and soul, holding to old hereditary and cultivated character while assuming places as counsellors and wise men, mingling their own spirit with words and actions, perverting principle, and confederating to do what God expressly forbids until justice and mercy and love for God and man fall in the streets. Their eyes are greatly blinded so they do not see, and they greatly weaken the work of the Lord and dishonor truth of heavenly origin at the heart of the work. The verse belongs to God's description of the course pursued in Battle Creek by men supposed to be trustworthy, showing violation of the principles of the ten commandments, failure to show supreme love to God and love to fellow men as to self, hearty dislike and contempt for anyone who questioned the course they thought wise, disrespect for the very men entrusted with a message for His people, and rejection of the message with readiness to reject the messengers themselves if power had been in hand. If their mouths were stopped and their voices silenced, God would raise up others to do the work. The prophecy is repeated in connection with destruction coming upon cities and the fulfillment of God's word, warning people to stop trusting leaders who reject God's warnings and reproof because the day of the Lord is near.