◄ Isaiah 29:11 ►
And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to someone to read, he will say, "I cannot, because it is sealed."
Study Bible
And the entire vision
The phrase "entire vision" refers to the comprehensive revelation or prophecy given by God through Isaiah. In the Hebrew context, the word for "vision" (חָזוֹן, chazon) often implies a divine communication or insight that is meant to guide, warn, or instruct. This vision encompasses the totality of God's message to His people, indicating its completeness and divine origin. Historically, visions were a primary means through which prophets received God's word, serving as a bridge between the divine and human understanding.

will be to you
This phrase personalizes the message, indicating that the vision is directed specifically to the people of Israel. It suggests a direct and personal application, emphasizing accountability and the need for response. The use of "you" underscores the relational aspect of God's communication, highlighting that the message is not abstract but intended for a specific audience who are expected to heed and understand it.

like the words of a sealed scroll
The imagery of a "sealed scroll" (סֵפֶר חָתוּם, sefer chatum) conveys the idea of something that is inaccessible or hidden. In ancient times, important documents were sealed to protect their contents, ensuring that only authorized individuals could open and read them. This metaphor suggests that the vision, though given, remains incomprehensible to the people due to their spiritual blindness and hard-heartedness. The sealed scroll symbolizes the people's inability to perceive and understand God's message because of their disobedience and lack of faith. This reflects a broader biblical theme where spiritual insight is granted to those who seek God with humility and sincerity.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book bearing his name. He prophesied during a time of great turmoil and impending judgment for Israel and Judah.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was often the focus of Isaiah's prophecies. During Isaiah's time, Judah faced threats from surrounding nations and internal spiritual decline.

3. The Vision
Refers to the prophetic revelations given to Isaiah, which were often difficult for the people to understand or accept due to their spiritual blindness.

4. The Sealed Scroll
Symbolizes the hidden or inaccessible nature of God's message to those who are spiritually blind or unrepentant.

5. The Reader
Represents those who are unable to comprehend or accept God's message due to their hardened hearts or lack of spiritual insight.
Teaching Points
Spiritual Blindness
Just as the scroll was sealed, spiritual truths can be hidden from those who are not open to God's revelation. We must seek God with a humble and repentant heart to truly understand His Word.

The Importance of Revelation
God's Word is a treasure that requires spiritual insight to unlock. We should pray for wisdom and understanding as we study the Scriptures.

The Role of Jesus
Jesus is the key to understanding God's revelation. Through Him, the mysteries of God are made known to us. We should focus on Christ as the center of our study and faith.

The Danger of Complacency
The people of Judah were complacent and spiritually blind, leading to their inability to understand God's message. We must guard against spiritual complacency in our own lives.

Active Engagement with Scripture
Like the sealed scroll, the Bible requires active engagement and a willingness to delve deeper. We should approach Bible study with diligence and a desire to grow in our faith.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of a "sealed scroll" in Isaiah 29:11 relate to our understanding of spiritual truths today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are not spiritually blind or deaf to God's message in our lives?

3. How does the role of Jesus as the one who opens the scrolls in Revelation enhance our understanding of Isaiah 29:11?

4. What practical steps can we take to avoid spiritual complacency and ensure that we are actively engaging with God's Word?

5. How can we apply the lessons from Isaiah 29:11 to our personal Bible study practices to gain deeper insights and understanding?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Revelation 5:1-5
This passage describes a scroll with seven seals, which only the Lamb (Jesus) is worthy to open. It highlights the theme of divine revelation being accessible only through Christ.

Matthew 13:13-15
Jesus speaks about people who hear but do not understand, and see but do not perceive, echoing the spiritual blindness described in Isaiah.

2 Corinthians 3:14-16
Paul discusses the veil over the hearts of the Israelites, which is removed in Christ, allowing them to understand the Scriptures.
Sermons
God's Word a Sealed BookR. Tuck Isaiah 29:11
Concerning ArielE. Johnson Isaiah 29:1-12
Drunken, But not with WineJ. J. Ingram.Isaiah 29:9-12
IntoxicationJ. J. Ingram.Isaiah 29:9-12
Judicial BlindnessH. Melvill, B. D.Isaiah 29:9-12
Spiritual DrunkennessJ. A. Alexander.Isaiah 29:9-12
Spiritual Drunkenness Worse than Bodily, and More PrevaleR. Paisley.Isaiah 29:9-12
Spiritual IncapacityW. Clarkson Isaiah 29:9-12
The Spirit of a Deep SleepJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 29:9-12
Bible Neglect ReprovedH. Melvill, B. D.Isaiah 29:11-12
Gradual RevelationJ. C. Jones.Isaiah 29:11-12
Learned and UnlearnedProf. J. Skinner, D. D.Isaiah 29:11-12
The Holy Spirit the IlluminatorBp. W. Alexander.Isaiah 29:11-12
The Universality of Spiritual BlindnessT. Chalmers, D. D.Isaiah 29:11-12
The Voices of LifeW. W. Newton.Isaiah 29:11-12
People
Ariel, David, Isaiah, Jacob
Places
Ariel, Lebanon, Mount Zion
Topics
Able, Book, Books, Can't, Clear, Deliver, Educated, Entire, Learned, Literate, Nothing, Please, Saying, Says, Scroll, Sealed, Shut, Someone, Vision, Writing
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 29:11

     5515   scroll

Isaiah 29:9-12

     5135   blindness, spiritual

Isaiah 29:10-11

     5518   seal

Isaiah 29:10-12

     8319   perception, spiritual

Library
I am Told, Further, that You Touch with Some Critical Sharpness Upon Some Points of My Letter
13. I am told, further, that you touch with some critical sharpness upon some points of my letter, and, with the well-known wrinkles rising on your forehead and your eyebrows knitted, make sport of me with a wit worthy of Plautus, for having said that I had a Jew named Barabbas for my teacher. I do not wonder at your writing Barabbas for Baranina, the letters of the names being somewhat similar, when you allow yourself such a license in changing the names themselves, as to turn Eusebius into Pamphilus, …
Various—Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.

Thou that Dwellest in the Gardens, the Companions Hearken to Thy Voice; Cause Me to Hear It.
The Bridegroom invites his Spouse to speak in his behalf, and to enter actually upon the Apostolic life by teaching others. Thou, O my Spouse, He says, that dwellest in the gardens, in the ever-flowered parterres of the Divinity, where thou hast not ceased to dwell since the winter has passed, thou hast been in gardens as beautiful for the variety of the flowers with which it was adorned as for the excellence of the fruits which abound there; thou, O My Spouse, whom I keep constantly with Me in these …
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon

If it is Objected, that the Necessity which Urges us to Pray is not Always...
If it is objected, that the necessity which urges us to pray is not always equal, I admit it, and this distinction is profitably taught us by James: " Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). Therefore, common sense itself dictates, that as we are too sluggish, we must be stimulated by God to pray earnestly whenever the occasion requires. This David calls a time when God "may be found" (a seasonable time); because, as he declares in several other …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

The Hardening of Nations.
"The election hath obtained it, and the rest were hardened."-- Rom. xi. 7. St. Paul's word, at the head of this article, is strikingly impressive, and its content exceedingly rich and instructive. It clearly announces the fact that the hardening is not exceptional or occasional, but universal, affecting all, who, being in contact with the divine Love, are not saved by it. The last limitation is necessary, for of the heathen it can not be said that they are hardened. Only they can be hardened who …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Christ Teaching by Miracles
We have seen how many valuable lessons our Saviour taught while on earth by the parables which he used. But we teach by our lives, as well as by our lips. It has passed into a proverb, and we all admit the truth of it, that "Actions speak louder than words." If our words and our actions contradict each other, people will believe our actions sooner than our words. But when both agree together, then the effect is very great. This was true with our blessed Lord. There was an entire agreement between …
Richard Newton—The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8. …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The New Testament Canon in the First Three Centuries.
The first Christians relied on the Old Testament as their chief religious book. To them it was of divine origin and authority. The New Testament writings came into gradual use, by the side of the older Jewish documents, according to the times in which they appeared and the names of their reputed authors. The Epistles of Paul were the earliest written; after which came the Apocalypse, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and other documents, all in the first century. After the first gospel had undergone a …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

"To what Purpose is the Multitude of Your Sacrifices unto Me? Saith the Lord,"
Isaiah i. 11.--"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord," &c. This is the word he calls them to hear and a strange word. Isaiah asks, What mean your sacrifices? God will not have them. I think the people would say in their own hearts, What means the prophet? What would the Lord be at? Do we anything but what he commanded us? Is he angry at us for obeying him? What means this word? Is he not repealing the statute and ordinance he had made in Israel? If he had reproved …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his Adherents, in this Respect, in Tyrannically Oppressing and Destroying Souls.
1. The power of the Church in enacting laws. This made a source of human traditions. Impiety of these traditions. 2. Many of the Papistical traditions not only difficult, but impossible to be observed. 3. That the question may be more conveniently explained, nature of conscience must be defined. 4. Definition of conscience explained. Examples in illustration of the definition. 5. Paul's doctrine of submission to magistrates for conscience sake, gives no countenance to the Popish doctrine of the obligation …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Third Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' Exod 20: 7. This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name. Of this latter I shall speak more fully, under the first petition in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.' I shall …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Intercourse of Jesus with the Pagans and the Samaritans.
Following out these principles, Jesus despised all religion which was not of the heart. The vain practices of the devotees,[1] the exterior strictness, which trusted to formality for salvation, had in him a mortal enemy. He cared little for fasting.[2] He preferred forgiveness to sacrifice.[3] The love of God, charity and mutual forgiveness, were his whole law.[4] Nothing could be less priestly. The priest, by his office, ever advocates public sacrifice, of which he is the appointed minister; he …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

Letter ii (A. D. 1126) to the Monk Adam
To the Monk Adam [3] 1. If you remain yet in that spirit of charity which I either knew or believed to be with you formerly, you would certainly feel the condemnation with which charity must regard the scandal which you have given to the weak. For charity would not offend charity, nor scorn when it feels itself offended. For it cannot deny itself, nor be divided against itself. Its function is rather to draw together things divided; and it is far from dividing those that are joined. Now, if that …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

"And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up Himself to Take Hold on Thee,"
Isaiah lxiv. 7.--"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee," &c. They go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with that a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough other(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man would spend more affection, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But it is Good for Me to Draw Near to God: I have Put My Trust in the Lord God, that I May Declare all Thy
Psal. lxxiii. 28.--"But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works." After man's first transgression, he was shut out from the tree of life, and cast out of the garden, by which was signified his seclusion and sequestration from the presence of God, and communion with him: and this was in a manner the extermination of all mankind in one, when Adam was driven out of paradise. Now, this had been an eternal separation for any thing that …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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