Isaiah 29:9
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
The verse describes a spiritual drunkenness rather than intoxication from wine or strong drink, in which people stagger as though drunk though no liquor has made them so. It is a state of confusion, daze and blindness in which eyes are closed under a deep sleep sent in judgment, so that prophets, rulers and seers cannot see clearly, understand the vision, discern truth or walk straight in the way of truth. The stupor comes from turning from truth to error by honoring God outwardly while the heart is far from Him, exchanging His truth for human teachings, traditions, fables and deceptive ideas, especially after great light and privilege have been given. So the Jewish nation fulfilled these words when outward ceremonies and human traditions obscured the rites pointing to Christ, so that when He came they did not recognize Him but demanded signs and acted out prophecy without understanding what they were doing. The same intoxication of worldliness, eagerness for gain, selfish ambition and self-exaltation still blinds minds surfeited with the cares of this life, confuses false shepherds who evade plain truth such as the Sabbath, and leaves those who doubt Christ's soon return stumbling without knowing what they stumble over.
Spiritual Stupor Described
Isaiah 29:9 portrays a spiritual stupor rather than intoxication from wine or strong drink, a staggering as of drunken men though no liquor has made them so. It is a spiritual drunkenness rooted in lack of spiritual understanding, by which people cannot walk uprightly or straight in the way of truth. This condition is confusion, daze, and blindness, leaving people unable to see clearly and perceive rightly. They are spiritually dulled and dazed, unable to understand God's message and vision, to discern truth, or to walk uprightly and straight.
The blindness comes with the Lord's judgment as a divinely sent deep sleep that closes eyes and covers prophets, rulers, and seers. Under that sleep prophets and rulers are blind to the vision, and the people are left unable to understand the vision and messages given to them. The verse also shows Satan taking control of reason, so that those who stagger do not know what they are stumbling over. They are spiritually confused and unable to judge their course rightly, unaware of what they stumble over because their reason has been controlled.
Causes Fulfillments and Warnings
The stupor comes from turning from truth to error, honoring God with the lips while the heart stays far from Him and worship is formed by human precept. Truth is exchanged for human teachings and traditions, outward ceremonies, fables, persuasive falsehoods, strange suppositions, false science, deceptive teachings and seducing spirits, and those who make that exchange stagger as if drunk though no wine has made them so. Such turning leaves people unable to understand the message and vision given them, unable to see clearly and to walk uprightly and straight in the way of truth.
It falls on those who have had great light and privileges yet do not follow it, who refuse to live by truth, resist heavenly direction, and follow unconverted hearts and self-directed counsel until they pervert divine principles. Resistance brings a divinely sent deep sleep that closes eyes and covers prophets, rulers and seers, so teachers who claim to teach while refusing to live by truth become greatly blinded and fail to perceive rightly. Even those who once had light can in this way lose discernment, become confused and perplexed, and spread falsehood.
The intoxication is worldliness and selfish ambition, a mind surfeited and perverted by the cares of this life as a drunkard is surfeited with drink. It is disobedience that lays up treasure on earth, with thought almost wholly engrossed by burdens and cares, eagerness for gain, anxiety for fear of loss, and desire for more the more money and lands are possessed. Allured and deceived by unholy ambition and self-exaltation, reason is laid aside, selfish aims become the ruling power, senses are blinded by selfishness, and men act blindly without regard for consequences, neglecting eternal interests, keeping the great matters of truth out of mind in word and plan and action, giving skill and talent to earthly gain instead of winning souls and upbuilding the kingdom, and counting preparation for the day of the Lord too tame and unsatisfying.
The Jewish nation fulfilled these words by turning from truth to human traditions and outward ceremonies that obscured the spiritual meaning of rites pointing to Christ. When Christ came as their fulfillment they failed to recognize Him, demanded signs instead of receiving the gospel message, and fulfilled prophecies about Him without understanding what they were doing, blinded by unbelief and error so they could not walk straight. Their prophets and rulers lay under deep sleep and could not read the vision.
The same pattern is repeated by nations that turn from truth to fables, and the condition belongs to the day pointed out by prophecy and to the present stage of earth's history. It forms part of the false teachings, strange suppositions, persuasive falsehoods and world conditions that workers will face while advancing the third angel's message. It overtakes professed believers and those who count themselves God's people yet set truth aside for error and follow crooked paths, including in the last days those who profess religion but are deceived by false science and fail to understand Christ, and including those who once knew truth but turned away, and all such deceived ones are called to return to God.
The verse exposes the course pursued at Battle Creek by men supposed to be trustworthy, who stay themselves and wonder and stagger though not with strong drink. They violate the principles of the ten commandments, showing neither supreme love to God nor love to fellow men as to themselves. Anyone who questions the course they in self-wisdom think right to pursue is heartily disliked and despised, and the very message entrusted for the people and its messengers are rejected with bitter feeling.
It warns medical workers who reject heavenly direction that resistance leaves them unable to understand the vision and messages given them. It warns teachers who claim to teach while refusing to live by truth, whose unconverted hearts and self-directed counsel pervert God's principles, that their course greatly blinds them, weakens the work, and dishonors heavenly truth.
It describes false shepherds as drunk without wine, confused by error, unable to discern truth, and misleading their followers. When asked whether the seventh-day Sabbath is the Bible Sabbath they evade the question and divert people to fables. Though light has reached them they refuse to acknowledge it, repeatedly change position to evade the conclusions truth requires, reject truths they once taught, and build a new foundation rather than yield.
It applies to those who doubt that Christ will return soon, say His coming is delayed, and deny His soon coming in word and action. They mistreat and oppress fellow servants in word and action and live by the same principle as those who eat and drink with the drunken. Satan has taken control of reason, so though spiritually drunk and staggering without wine or strong drink and unable to judge their course rightly, they do not know what they are stumbling over.