What is the meaning of Isaiah 66:19? I will establish a sign among them • The Lord promises a visible, unmistakable marker of His work, just as He gave Noah the rainbow (Genesis 9:12–17) or Moses the blood on the doorposts (Exodus 12:13). • In Isaiah, that “sign” points forward to the Messiah’s finished work; Jesus Himself said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up” (John 3:14). • God’s signs reassure His people and confront unbelief (Luke 2:34; 1 Corinthians 1:22–24). I will send survivors from among them to the nations • Isaiah often speaks of a “remnant” spared for service (Isaiah 10:20–22; 37:31–32). • After the exile, the Lord used that remnant to rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 1:5) and preserve the Messianic line. • In the church era, the pattern continues: persecution scattered believers who “went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:1–4). God turns survivors into missionaries. To Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud • Tarshish: the extreme west of the Mediterranean world (Jonah 1:3). • Put: North Africa (Ezekiel 27:10). • Lud: renowned bowmen, likely from Lydia in Asia Minor (Jeremiah 46:9). • By naming far-flung places, God underlines that no corner of the earth is beyond His reach (Psalm 22:27). To Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away • Tubal: a people north of Israel, listed with Meshech (Genesis 10:2; Ezekiel 27:13). • Javan: the Greek world (Daniel 8:21). • “Islands far away” captures every distant shoreline (Psalm 72:10). • The scope anticipates the gospel’s spread “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory • These nations lacked previous revelation (Ephesians 2:12). • Paul quoted Isaiah when explaining his ambition “to preach the gospel where Christ was not known” (Romans 15:20–21; cf. Isaiah 52:15). • God’s heart is always for those still in darkness (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:14–16). So they will proclaim My glory among the nations • The end goal is worship: “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:3). • Jesus crystallized the mandate: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). • The vision culminates in “a great multitude…from every nation” praising the Lamb (Revelation 7:9–10). summary Isaiah 66:19 foretells God marking His people with a decisive sign—the redemptive work of Christ—and commissioning a preserved remnant to carry that message to the furthest reaches of the world. By naming representative lands in every direction, the verse celebrates God’s determination that those who have never heard will hear, and that global proclamation will result in worldwide worship of His glory. |
    |