Scripture Helps

Isaiah 58–66

Isaiah taught about the kind of fasting and Sabbath worship that pleases the Lord. He emphasized that caring for the needy and living righteously are more important to God than simply performing religious acts. He prophesied that the Messiah’s mission was to preach good news, heal the brokenhearted, free the captives, and comfort those who mourn. Isaiah also prophesied of the Savior’s Second Coming and the peace and righteousness that will prevail during the Millennium.

Resources

• Background and Context

• Learn More

• Media

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Background and Context

Isaiah 58:1–12

Why did the Lord not accept the Israelites’ fasting?

The Lord declared that the Israelites’ motives and behavior during their fasting was displeasing to Him. Rather than fasting to repent and draw closer to God, the Israelites were preoccupied with selfish desires and worldly behaviors. Instead of lifting the burdens of others, they forced others to work and became irritable and contentious. Their fasting had become nothing more than an outward ritual and did not reflect true worship. The Lord emphasized that an acceptable fast involves sincerely caring for others by lifting their burdens and providing them with food and clothing. He promised great blessings to those who sincerely obeyed the law of the fast.

The Lord’s promises also apply in our day. President Jeffrey R. Holland testified: “I bear witness of the miracles, both spiritual and temporal, that come to those who live the law of the fast. … Truly, as Isaiah recorded, I have cried out in the fast more than once, and truly God has responded, ‘Here I am’ [Isaiah 58:9]. Cherish that sacred privilege at least monthly, and be as generous as circumstances permit in your fast offering and other humanitarian, educational, and missionary contributions. I promise that God will be generous to you, and those who find relief at your hand will call your name blessed forever.”

Isaiah 58:13–14

What promises did the Lord make to those who call the Sabbath “a delight”?

The Lord promised that those who “call the sabbath a delight” will in turn “delight [themselves] in the Lord.” President Russell M. Nelson explained, “Faith in God engenders a love for the Sabbath; faith in the Sabbath engenders a love for God. A sacred Sabbath truly is a delight.”

In addition, the Lord declared that those who honor the Sabbath will “ride upon the high places of the earth” and that He would feed them “with the heritage of Jacob.” The phrase “the high places of the earth” can symbolize sacred settings where God’s presence can be felt. “The heritage of Jacob” refers to the covenant blessings promised to Jacob and his posterity.

Isaiah 59:16–21

What is an intercessor?

Isaiah 59 begins with a description of the wickedness among the people of Judah. One of their sins was their unjust treatment of those who sought to live righteously. In verse 16, the Lord declared that because no one had stepped in to offer assistance to the righteous, He Himself would become their intercessor. An intercessor is someone who intervenes to help settle differences between people or groups. In these verses, the Lord declared that His intercession would involve taking action against those who had oppressed others.

Jesus Christ is also our eternal Intercessor, or Mediator. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught: “[Jesus Christ] came into the world to ransom men from the temporal and spiritual death brought upon them by the fall of Adam. He came to satisfy the demands of divine justice and to bring mercy to the penitent. He came as a Mediator, as an Intercessor, to plead the cause of all those who believe in him.”

Isaiah 60

How will Isaiah’s prophecies about Zion be fulfilled in the last days?

Isaiah 60 contains a prophecy about the future glory and redemption of Israel. Isaiah described Zion (Jerusalem) as a beacon of light shining in a dark world. This light would attract people from other nations, who would bring their wealth to Zion and add to its glory. Isaiah also prophesied that Zion would become a place of safety where the righteous will dwell in peace.

Isaiah’s prophecy likely has multiple fulfillments, including the return of the Jews after their Babylonian captivity. However, its ultimate fulfillment will occur in the last days. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that a latter-day Zion, known as the New Jerusalem, will be established on the American continent. In Doctrine and Covenants 45, the Lord described the New Jerusalem in terms that echo Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 60. The Lord taught that it would be “a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God.” Because “the glory of the Lord shall be there, … the wicked will not come unto it.” The Lord also taught that the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem would be righteous Saints “gathered out from among all nations.”

Isaiah 61:1–2

What is the acceptable year of the Lord?

The “acceptable year of the Lord” is often connected with the year of Jubilee that was observed every 50 years as part of the law of Moses. The term “jubilee” comes from a Hebrew word that also means “trumpet” or “ram’s horn.” The beginning of a jubilee year was announced with the sounding of a ram’s horn trumpet on the Day of Atonement. During a jubilee year, the Israelites were commanded to “proclaim liberty throughout all the land.” This involved freeing those who were imprisoned or enslaved and restoring land that had been sold to pay off debts.

Isaiah’s prophecy about an Anointed One who would “preach good tidings unto the meek,” “bind up the brokenhearted,” “proclaim liberty to the captives,” and open “the prison to them that are bound” ultimately points to Jesus Christ and His work of salvation. During His mortal ministry, the Savior read Isaiah 61:1–2 aloud in the synagogue in Nazareth and declared, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” With this statement, Jesus revealed Himself as the promised Messiah.

See also “Luke 4:18–19. How does Jesus’s ministry fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 61:1–2?”

Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth, by Greg K. Olsen

Isaiah 61:3

What is the meaning of the phrase “beauty for ashes”?

In ancient Israel, it was customary to pour ashes on one’s head as a sign of deep sorrow or distress. The Hebrew word translated as “beauty” refers to a decorative head covering. In this verse, the Lord promised the faithful that He would replace their ashes of sorrow with a crown of beauty and turn their mourning into joy.

Isaiah 63:1–9

What is significant about the phrase “Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel”?

Isaiah 63 offers a symbolic portrayal of Jehovah saving His covenant people from their enemies. The Lord is depicted as a warrior returning from Edom with His clothes stained red, like someone who has trodden grapes in a winepress. The color of the Savior’s apparel represents the blood of His enemies that He has defeated. One significant fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy will take place at the Savior’s Second Coming, when He will return to the earth in glory and exercise justice upon the wicked. On that day, “the Lord shall be red in his apparel.”

The Savior’s red apparel can also remind us of the blood He shed on our behalf. Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught: “No wonder, when Christ comes in power and glory, that He will come in reminding red attire, signifying not only the winepress of wrath, but also to bring to our remembrance how He suffered for each of us in Gethsemane and on Calvary!”

He Comes Again to Rule and Reign, by Mary R. Sauer

Isaiah 64:4–5

What does it mean to wait for the Lord?

President M. Russell Ballard taught:

“Waiting upon the Lord implies continued obedience and spiritual progress toward Him. Waiting upon the Lord does not imply biding one’s time. You should never feel like you are in a waiting room.

“Waiting upon the Lord implies action. …

“The personal growth one can achieve now while waiting upon the Lord and His promises is an invaluable, sacred element of His plan for each one of us. … The Lord honors those who serve and wait upon Him in patience and faith.”

Isaiah 65:17–25

What do we know about the Millennium?

The latter part of Isaiah 65 describes a time when the Lord will redeem His people, Zion, and the whole earth. Although Isaiah does not use the term Millennium, we use the term today to refer to the 1,000-year period when “Christ will reign personally upon the earth” after His Second Coming. During this time, the earth will be transfigured, or changed, to receive its “paradisiacal glory.”

“The Millennium will be a time of righteousness and peace on the earth. The Lord has revealed that ‘in that day the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease’ (Doctrine and Covenants 101:26). Satan will be ‘bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:55).”

Without Any Ire, by Nancy Glazier-Koehler

Learn More

Fasting

• Henry B. Eyring, “Is Not This the Fast That I Have Chosen?,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 22–25

• Topics and Questions, “Fasting and Fast Offerings,” Gospel Library

The Sabbath

• Russell M. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 129–32

• “Isaiah 58:13–14,” New Era, Feb. 2016, 40

The Millennium

• Topics and Questions, “Millennium,” Gospel Library

Media

Video

“Jesus Declares He Is the Messiah” (3:24)

Music

• “Now Let Us Rejoice,” Hymns, no. 3

• “When the Savior Comes Again,” Hymns—For Home and Church

Image

Notes

1. See Isaiah 58:3–5.

2. See Isaiah 58:6–7. See also Dana M. Pike, “The Poor and the Needy in the Book of Isaiah,” in Covenant of Compassion: Caring for the Marginalized and Disadvantaged in the Old Testament, ed. Avram R. Shannon and others (2021), 198–99.

3. See Isaiah 58:8–12.

4. Jeffrey R. Holland, “Are We Not All Beggars?,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 42.

5. Russell M. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 132.

6. See Donald W. Parry and others, Understanding Isaiah (1998), 517, note on Isaiah 58:14.

7. See Isaiah 59:1–15.

8. See Isaiah 59:4, 14–15.

9. See Kerry Muhlestein, Learning to Love Isaiah (2021), 476, 479–81, notes on Isaiah 59:3–4; 59:10–11; 59:18–20; Parry and others, Understanding Isaiah, 520–21, 526, notes on Isaiah 59:1; 59:2; 59:6; 59:18; 59:19.

10. See Isaiah 59:17–20.

11. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Mediator,” Gospel Library.

12. Bruce R. McConkie, “Come, Know the Lord Jesus,” Ensign, May 1977, 14. See also Isaiah 53:12; Hebrews 7:25–26; 2 Nephi 9:8–10; Mosiah 15:7–8; Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5.

13. See Isaiah 60:1–2.

14. See Isaiah 60:3–13. In Isaiah’s lifetime, the Lord allowed Gentile nations to afflict the Israelites, take their wealth, and scatter them. In the last days, the Lord will empower the Gentile nations to bless the Israelites and use their wealth to help return the covenant people to God (see Michael D. Coogan and others, eds., The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version, 5th ed. [2018], 1016, note on Isaiah 60:10–22; see also “Isaiah 49:22–23. How will the Gentiles be nursing fathers and mothers to Israel?”).

15. See Isaiah 60:18–21.

16. See Parry and others, Understanding Isaiah, 534, note on Isaiah 60:1. See also Revelation 21.

17. See Articles of Faith 1:10.

18. Doctrine and Covenants 45:66.

19. Doctrine and Covenants 45:67.

20. Doctrine and Covenants 45:71.

21. See Matthew L. Bowen, “‘Thy Will Be Done’: The Savior’s Use of the Divine Passive,” in The Sermon on the Mount in Latter-day Scripture, ed. Gaye Strathearn and others (2010), 233–36.

22. See Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (2023), “Ram’s Horn,” 646.

23. See Leviticus 25:8–13, 39–46. See also Bible Dictionary, “Jubilee, Year of.”

24. Leviticus 25:10.

25. See Leviticus 25:8–16, 23–55; 27:16–25. See also Muhlestein, Learning to Love Isaiah, 492, note on Isaiah 61:1–2. A significant fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy took place when, after 50 years of exile in Babylon, the Jews were set free. This happened through a decree by King Cyrus of Persia. The fact that the Jews were freed after 50 years of exile further points to a connection to the jubilee year (see Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd ed. [2014], 888, note on Isaiah 61:1).

26. See Matthew 7:19–22; 11:4–5; Acts 4:27; 10:38.

27. Luke 4:16–21.

28. See Thomas F. Olmstead, “The Savior’s Use of the Old Testament,” Ensign, July 2002, 47. See also “Luke 4:22–30. Why was Jesus rejected at Nazareth?”

29. See Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament: An Illustrated Reference for Latter-day Saints (2009), 245. See also “Esther 4:1. Why did Mordecai tear his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes?”

30. See Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 6287, page 1005. Other Bible translations, such as the New International Version and the New Living Translation, render this phrase as “a crown of beauty.” See also Parry and others, Understanding Isaiah, 543, note on Isaiah 61:3.

31. Jehovah’s commitment to His covenant people is especially evident in verse 7, where Isaiah describes the “mercies” and “lovingkindnesses” of the Lord. The Hebrew word used for “lovingkindnesses” in this verse is hesed, which refers to the Savior’s covenantal love and loyalty toward His people (see Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, “Loving-Kindness,” 502; see also Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 5–6, 11).

32. In this verse, Edom symbolically represents people from “the worldly nations” (Isaiah 63:1, footnote b) who are enemies to the Lord’s covenant people (see Muhlestein, Learning to Love Isaiah, 506–7, note on Isaiah 63:1). See also Doctrine and Covenants 1:36, where Edom is called “Idumea, or the world.”

33. See Isaiah 63:3.

34. See Doctrine and Covenants 133:41–51, 64.

35. Doctrine and Covenants 133:48.

36. Neal A. Maxwell, ”Overcome … Even As I Also Overcame,” Ensign, May 1987, 72.

37. M. Russell Ballard, “Hope in Christ,” Liahona, May 2021, 55.

38. Articles of Faith 1:10. See also Topics and Questions, “Millennium,” Gospel Library.

39. Articles of Faith 1:10. See also Doctrine and Covenants 63:20–21.

40. Topics and Questions, “Millennium,” Gospel Library.