No. 777
“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” (Isa. 61:1-3)
This text is surely “good tidings” in a very broad and deep sense. Its message is one of comfort, not only to consecrated believers, but to all who mourn. While some people are undoubtedly full, satisfied, and mourn for nothing, they are exceptions to the rule. Some are wealthy in material possessions and feel they have need of nothing. They are kept busy with their efforts to enjoy themselves. There are also others who are not wealthy, but are very self-satisfied because they feel themselves to be of a high moral status. They do not realize themselves to be sinners in need of a Savior. Neither of these groups are mourning for anything, and therefore they cannot receive the comforting assurances and promises the Lord has made for those who mourn.
But as we consider the state of affairs in the world, we are deeply impressed with the thought that the vast majority of mankind are in mourning. As far as the world in general is concerned, our Lord’s ministry of comfort is chiefly a future work, but we rejoice in knowing that the time is sure to come when all that mourn will be brought under the blessed influences and provisions of the Millennial Kingdom, when they will come to know the comfort God has provided in Christ.
Our text assures us that all the Lord’s people are ordained to proclaim His message of comfort to all that mourn, to all who realize that the present condition of things is an unsatisfactory one, quite beyond the power of any human being to fully rectify – a condition that God’s Kingdom alone can correct. The Gospel of Christ appeals to those who mourn, addressing itself especially to those who labor, are heavy laden, and seeking rest. It passes by those who are content and self-satisfied.
Why is it that those who mourn can appreciate God’s message as others cannot? Would we not expect the opposite? Surely heaven is not a place of mourning; surely the heavenly Father is not sad; and surely the holy angels are not weary, heavy laden, and seeking rest. So why does the Gospel of the Lord Jesus appeal to the mourners? If in heaven all are rich in health, joy, and prosperity and they all rejoice in the divine character and divine plan, why is it that the rich, favored, and self-satisfied on earth are not attracted by the Gospel of Christ?
The answer is that the conditions are totally different. In heaven there is no sin, no sickness, no pain, no sorrow, no death, no weeping – nothing to cause mourning. On earth all these conditions prevail – if not in each individual, certainly in each family. It is proper for perfect heavenly beings who are free from the penalties of sin to rejoice in the Lord and be joyful. It is equally proper for those under the penalties of sin to mourn, assuming they have the right attitude of mind and can realize their true condition. It is proper that they feel weary with the mental, moral, and physical burdens of sin brought upon us as a race. It is expected that they feel heavy laden with life’s trials and difficulties and mourn, longing for deliverance from these unfavorable conditions.
Although much is done for the benefit of the less favored in the provision of public education, health care, and other types of assistance, some of the favored few in the world seem to have no feeling of sympathy, sorrow, and mourning for the disadvantaged. Selfishness has crowded out feelings of empathy and sympathy among many advantaged people. It would not be fair, however, to assume that all the rich and well-to-do are filled with joy and pleasure despite appearing to be so. If the truth were known, nearly all human beings have more than a few heart-aches, even though they may enjoy all manner of riches and advantages. Many also have a longing desire to help others, but they realize that it would be impossible to rescue all of humanity. They realize they must draw the line somewhere, and so they select their special projects and objects of sympathy and assistance, providing many private benevolences. In any event, it is not for us to attempt to judge the hearts of others to assess whether they mourn. We are safe to assume that the majority of people mourn.
JOY IN THE MORNING
In the words of the hymn, “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea.” The wideness of His mercy is in marked contrast with the narrowness of human creeds and theories. According to the latter, God’s provision for the majority of the human family is that they will mourn and be weary and heavy laden. These creeds hold that mankind will be a groaning creation throughout this present life, and at its close they will be ushered into conditions awful to contemplate: an eternity of woe, mourning, sorrow, pain, and anguish. This is the false Gospel concocted during the Dark Ages by those who actually thought they served God by burning one another at the stake. How different is the true message of God! It is the message referred to in our opening text, which God anointed the Christ, Head and Body, to proclaim. It is the message announced by the angel at the birth of Jesus: “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10) It is a message of comfort to all who mourn.
Many who now mourn are unable to appreciate God’s message because they are blinded and deafened by the Adversary. They neither know nor understand the gracious provisions of the divine plan of salvation, provisions centered in the cross of Christ. Confused by the various religious creeds of the world, they cannot discern the voice of the true Shepherd, and so the vast majority are in despair, lacking any comfort whatsoever.
While it is the privilege of the Lord’s people to tell the good tidings which will ultimately be to all people, they are to understand that only a few who have an ear to hear will be able to comprehend and appreciate their message. The majority will not be able to comprehend until the new dispensation is ushered in, and the clouds of error, darkness, confusion, and falsehood melt away. Then the glorious “Sun of righteousness” will rise “with healing in his wings.” (Mal. 4:2) These healing beams will bless the whole world during the Millennium. During this Gospel Age, the comfort provided by the Scriptures about the blessings that are to come to the world is only for the Household of Faith. As the Master said: “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” (Matt. 13:16)
The Lord’s people would mourn more for their dear ones who are still in the darkness of sin were it not for this comfort the Lord provided in the Scriptures. As they come to understand the divine message, it means an ultimate blessing to each member of the human family – it means that as all of Adam’s race were involved in his penalty without their consent, likewise all of them are provided for in the great redemption accomplished by the second Adam, likewise without their knowledge. Thus the Lord prophetically declares: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psa. 30:5)
NOT UNIVERSALISM
The whole creation is involved in the weeping, mourning, suffering, and sorrowing resulting from the curse of the death penalty. Likewise, the whole creation has been redeemed by the precious blood, and will come forth on the Millennial morning to joyful opportunities for attaining life everlasting through obedience to the glorious Kingdom of God’s dear Son, who bought them with His precious blood. To this the Scriptures all agree. Pointing to the Millennial Age, they declare: “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17)
Almost the same message was given thousands of years earlier through the Prophet Isaiah: “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.” (Isa. 25:8) This shows that tears will not be wiped away merely from the faces of the saints of this Gospel Age. These divine testimonies are in full accord with others that declare: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:10-11)
All these testimonies apply generally to the whole world of mankind, because God has provided a full atonement for the sins of the whole world. The penalty of Adam’s fall has been wiped away and during the Millennial Age every human being will have an opportunity to rejoice in the Lord’s favor, knowing that past sins are forgiven. All will have an opportunity to demonstrate their love for righteousness and their opposition to sin, thereby proving their fitness for everlasting life under God’s terms.
This is not universalism, however, which teaches that all humankind will eventually be saved eternally. The Scriptures teach that after having been brought to a full knowledge of God’s provisions and terms, all who willfully reject or oppose them will be deemed opponents of God and His righteousness and will be cut off in the Second Death: “And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear [obey] that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:23)
MOURNERS IN ZION
Everywhere throughout the Scriptures the Lord distinguishes between mourners in general, and those who “mourn in Zion” – the mourners who are truly His through faith and consecration. The Apostle Paul pointed out that both the world and the Lord’s people are groaning and waiting:
“For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. . . . that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also . . . even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption . . . the redemption of our body.” (Rom. 8:19-23, ASV) While not realizing it, the whole world is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God – waiting for the Kingdom to be established. The belief in a future life, though vague, is almost universal and most people believe it will be everlasting.
The Lord’s consecrated people groan more privately, not in an outward manner, awaiting their adoption, their deliverance as the body of the Anointed One, and their share in the First Resurrection. Those who mourn in Zion have hearing ears, and the eyes of their understanding are open; hence the message of the Gospel means to them what it cannot mean to mourners in general.
In our opening text, the Lord foretells through the Prophet the joys and blessings the mourners in Zion have for their comfort and consolation. They do not sorrow as others do because they believe that the entire human family will be released from the death sentence, which has been turned into a “sleep” through the redemptive work of Jesus. As the Apostle explained: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (1 Thess. 4:13-14)
Although the Lord’s people do not sorrow as others who have no hope, they groan within themselves because the blessings are still future, while the trials and difficulties are still present. The hope they enjoy cheers and comforts their hearts, lightening their burdens, although they still have burdens and sorrows. Our Lord called to the sorrowing ones, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matt. 11:28-29) The Lord’s yoke is easy and His burden light compared with the yoke of sin and the burden of death.
The burden of those who are in Christ is very different from the burden that is upon the world. Our burden decreases as we become more acquainted with our heavenly Father and with our Lord the Redeemer, and with the gracious plan of which He is the center.
ANOINTED TO PREACH
The anointing to preach the great message primarily applied to our Lord Jesus, who pointed out the fulfillment of this scripture in Himself. (Luke 4:18) From God’s standpoint, however, all His consecrated people who have knowledge of His Word and possess the spirit of the Truth are included in this anointing. Every child of God must be a preacher, although not all preach from a public platform. They are commissioned to share to the best of their abilities the message detailed in the first two verses of our text:
“To preach good tidings unto the meek.” They are anointed to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom – Jesus, the resurrection, restitution, and the high calling. They are to preach only to the “meek” – those willing and able to hear, those who are feeling after the Lord and not satisfied with the things of this world, those who manifest a teachable disposition. They are not to preach to the rebellious or the indifferent, who will be dealt with in the Kingdom by the judgments of the Lord. (Isa. 26:9)
“To bind up the brokenhearted.” The mission of the Lord’s people is not to break hearts but to heal hearts that have been broken by sin. The mission is not to shake with threats of torment, but to soothe with the message of divine mercy, teaching that the Kingdom will bring order, peace, and joy.
“To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” This is the message of resurrection and restitution. All of mankind are captives of death, whether already in the grave or yet alive. Christ will open the prison house of death, releasing its captives (John 5:28-29), giving them the opportunity to return to man’s former estate, free from sin, ignorance, superstition, and the dying process.
“To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” This identifies the Gospel Age as the “acceptable” time period during which God will accept joint-sacrificers with Christ. On the occasion when the Lord Jesus read this verse from Isaiah in the synagogue (Luke 4:19), He stopped His reading after “the acceptable year of the Lord,” because the remainder of the prophecy was not yet due to be understood, but now it is. The “day of vengeance” – the time of trouble – is upon us and when it ends the whole world will be comforted by the Lord’s reign.
THE PROMISES PICTURED
The beautiful promises made to the mourners in Zion are then symbolically described in the third verse of our text, foreshadowing the great ministry of comfort to take place in the Millennium:
“Beauty for ashes.” The beauty of the resurrection will replace the ashes of death. The word “beauty” here signifies a beautiful crown or garland, symbolizing hope and joy, while ashes symbolize the opposite. Prior to the redemptive work of Christ, we were without hope and “without God in the world.” (Eph. 2:12) While we may have had earthly hopes, desires, and prospects, as time passed we found that these withered, failed, and turned to ashes. The acceptance of Jesus with a whole heart brings new hopes and joys, represented symbolically as a “garland.” (Isa. 61:3, ASV) Not one joy, but many joys, not one blessing, but many blessings, come to those who are the Lord’s – to them old things have passed away and all things become new. Even death itself loses its sting when we realize that Christ has bought every prisoner in the tomb, and that ultimately death will be swallowed up in victory and there will be no more death, and no more pain, because the former things will have passed away. (Isa. 25:8; 1 Cor. 15:54; Rev. 21:4)
“The oil of joy for mourning.” After a period of mourning had passed in ancient times, it was the custom to display the spirit of rejoicing by washing and then anointing with a fragrant oil. Such oil was also used in anointing the kings and priests of Israel, and in Scripture it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Throughout this Gospel Age, those who accept Jesus as their Redeemer and who seek to walk in His steps, making a full consecration to Him and to His service, are accepted of the heavenly Father as His children and anointed with His Holy Spirit, the spirit of gladness, the spirit of joy, to all who receive it. In proportion as they receive it, it drives away much of the spirit of mourning and brings instead the spirit of joy. As the Apostle declared, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4)
“The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” To put on the garment of praise means to be sufficiently thankful, sufficiently appreciative of the good things received of the Lord. Many never get rid of the spirit of heaviness because they fail to put on the garment of praise. If we continually acknowledge and give thanks for the blessings we enjoy, we will find that they will increase and their value will be enhanced day by day. Before long, tears will be replaced with praise and thanksgiving. Instead of asking the Lord continually for new blessings, our petitions will be in the form of thanksgiving, and we will only ask that the Lord give us what is best. We should seek to take our burdens to the foot of the cross and leave them there, remembering that the Lord has promised that all things work together for good to them that love God. (Rom. 8:28)
“That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” The Apostle Paul used this same illustration to show how we are to progress in Christ. (Col. 2:7) The roots of a tree push themselves downward and take nutrients from the soil, while at the same time the trunk and the branches reach up into the atmosphere to obtain necessary elements of growth through the leaves. In the same manner, the roots of the Christian’s faith must push down deep into the knowledge of the divine plan, while the tree of character grows higher and higher, developing and maturing the rich fruits of the Holy Spirit of God. A tree that is well rooted in the earth is hard to uproot. Likewise, when the Christian’s faith is properly established in the promises of God’s Word, no wind of doctrine or theories of the day can overturn it. The Lord will not accept little, undeveloped sprouts for the Kingdom; He wants sturdy trees that have grown and matured.
COMFORTING THEM THAT MOURN
The Scriptures point out that our comfort comes through fellowship with the heavenly Father and with our Lord Jesus. Our comfort does not come from believing that they are ignorant of our weaknesses and shortcomings, nor that they have low standards of righteousness and indiscriminate requirements for fellowship with them. Quite to the contrary, they comfort us with the assurance that they are very sympathetic and very merciful, although our every imperfection is known to them. Having provided a full propitiation (satisfaction) for all sins in the great sacrifice at Calvary, the Lord is very pleased to apply on behalf of each of His adopted children the riches of grace necessary to cover and offset every unintentional error and failure. What comfort and consolation are these privileges of fellowship with the Father and with the Son!
The Scriptures assure us that this comfort comes to us through the Holy Spirit, the spirit of the Lord, which is accordingly called the “Comforter.” (John 14:26) Those who have the Holy Spirit may have the comfort; those who do not have the Holy Spirit may not have this comfort and consolation. It is only to the extent that we receive the spirit, mind, and disposition of the Lord that we are able to understand, appreciate, and be comforted by the lengths and breadths, the heights and depths of His love, compassion, and provision for us.
This comfort of the Holy Spirit comes to us through the Scriptures – they are the medium through which the knowledge of God’s grace reaches us. In the words of the Apostle, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4)
While this comfort is of the Father, through the Son, and communicated through the Scriptures, it is also to a considerable extent communicated by the Lord’s people one to another. For instance, the Apostle, after relating certain features of the divine plan relating to the deliverance of the Church, said to the brethren: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 4:18) Similarly, in his epistle to the Thessalonians, he told them that he sent Timothy to establish and comfort them concerning their faith. (1 Thess. 3:2-5)
This comfort evidently came from the establishment of the “faith which was once delivered unto the saints” – the faith in the glorious promises of God’s Word. (Jude 3) This comfort was of the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, through the agency of Paul and Timothy. Again, the same Apostle, speaking in the same strain, said, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” (1 Thess. 5:11)
While the work of Christ and the Church for the world will not be accomplished in this present age, God gives His people the opportunity to use their talents in His service in the present life. To the best of their ability, they are to bind up broken hearts and give “the oil of joy for mourning.” In this manner they are to allay the sufferings of others, especially of the Lord’s Household, though they are to assist others as they have suitable opportunity. But their special work in blessing and comforting the world will be in the Kingdom, when all mankind will be brought back from the tomb and will have all the blessed assistances of Messiah’s Reign. Everything evil will be uprooted, and everything good will be fostered and blessed.
AMBASSADORS FOR THE LORD
While in this life, the Lord’s people are to be His ambassadors, showing forth His praises by telling others of the coming Kingdom and the blessings then to be showered upon all. They are to tell that God’s great plan for the world is much broader and grander than once thought, and that these blessings are both for those now living and for those who have gone down into the grave. Let us tell all who have an ear to hear that the Lord is now pouring out His Spirit upon His “servants and handmaids,” and soon will pour it out upon “all flesh” – all mankind. (Joel 2:28-29)
To the degree the Lord’s people are His ambassadors and representatives, it will be their privilege in the Kingdom to “comfort all that mourn,” and to be the “trees of righteousness” whose leaves will be for the “healing of the nations.” (Rev. 22:2) They should remember, however, that in the present life they have a ministry of comfort to perform also toward all who mourn in Zion – toward all of the Lord’s people who are in any tribulation, whether physical or mental. It is their privilege to bind up the broken-hearted and comfort those that mourn. In order to have the disposition to comfort, strengthen, edify, and build up the Household of Faith, one must possess a considerable measure of the spirit of the Truth, the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of love. To the degree each of the Lord’s people seeks to cultivate this privilege of brotherly helpfulness, to that same degree he will find the spirit of love developing and abounding in his own heart, and his likeness to the Lord Jesus will increase day by day, and from year to year.
One of the Apostle’s expressions respecting the great comfort and consolation which God has provided for His consecrated, faithful people is especially to the point: “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
If we are rightly exercised by the lessons learned from our trials, difficulties, and tribulations, we will receive greater comfort through the gracious promises of the Lord’s Word, and become more capable and efficient ambassadors of comfort to others in their trials and difficulties.
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This paper is drawn from several writings of Pastor Russell, including Reprints 2664 and 5536, as well as excerpts from Harvest Gleanings.
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