Isaiah 61:2
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of our God's vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
This phrase is deeply rooted in the concept of the Jubilee year found in Leviticus 25, where every fiftieth year was to be a time of liberation and restoration. The Hebrew word for "favor" is "ratzon," which implies delight, goodwill, and acceptance. In the context of Isaiah, this proclamation is messianic, pointing to a future time when the Messiah would bring spiritual liberation and divine favor. Historically, this was a time when debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and land was returned to its original owners, symbolizing a complete reset and restoration. Spiritually, it signifies the coming of Christ, who offers freedom from the bondage of sin and the ultimate restoration of our relationship with God.

and the day of our God’s vengeance
The "day of vengeance" is a concept that appears throughout the prophetic books, often associated with God's judgment against sin and injustice. The Hebrew word for "vengeance" is "naqam," which conveys the idea of retribution or justice. This phrase serves as a reminder that while God is merciful and offers favor, He is also just and will not leave sin unpunished. In the historical context, this would have been understood as God's intervention against Israel's enemies. From a New Testament perspective, it points to the final judgment when Christ will return to judge the living and the dead, as described in Revelation.

to comfort all who mourn
The promise of comfort is a recurring theme in Isaiah, especially in the latter chapters. The Hebrew word for "comfort" is "nacham," which means to console or to show compassion. This phrase speaks to God's deep concern for those who are grieving or suffering. In the immediate context, it would have been a message of hope to the Israelites in exile, assuring them of God's future restoration. In a broader spiritual sense, it points to the comfort that Christ brings to believers, offering peace and hope in the midst of life's trials. This comfort is not just emotional but is rooted in the assurance of God's presence and His ultimate plan for redemption.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is both just and merciful, offering favor and executing vengeance.

2. The Anointed One (Messiah)
The speaker in this passage, traditionally understood as the Messiah, who brings good news and fulfills God's promises.

3. The Year of the LORD’s Favor
A time of divine grace and blessing, often associated with the Jubilee year, a time of liberation and restoration.

4. The Day of God’s Vengeance
A period of divine judgment against sin and injustice, emphasizing God's righteousness.

5. Those Who Mourn
Individuals experiencing sorrow and loss, whom God promises to comfort through His redemptive work.
Teaching Points
Understanding God's Dual Nature
God is both merciful and just. His favor and vengeance are two sides of His divine nature, offering grace to the repentant and justice to the unrepentant.

The Role of the Messiah
Jesus, as the Messiah, fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 61, bringing both spiritual liberation and the promise of future judgment.

Living in the Year of the LORD’s Favor
Believers are called to live in the reality of God's favor, experiencing His grace and extending it to others through acts of love and justice.

Comfort for the Mourning
God promises comfort to those who mourn, encouraging believers to find solace in His presence and to be agents of comfort to others.

Anticipating the Day of Vengeance
While living in grace, Christians should also be mindful of God's coming judgment, motivating them to share the gospel and live righteously.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the "year of the LORD’s favor" influence your perspective on God's grace in your life today?

2. In what ways can you be a source of comfort to those who mourn, reflecting God's promise in Isaiah 61:2?

3. How does the concept of God's vengeance challenge or affirm your understanding of His justice?

4. How does Jesus' fulfillment of Isaiah 61:2 in Luke 4 impact your view of His mission and your role as His follower?

5. What practical steps can you take to live in the reality of God's favor while anticipating His future judgment?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Luke 4:18-19
Jesus reads from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, identifying Himself as the fulfillment of this prophecy, emphasizing the arrival of God's favor.

Leviticus 25
Describes the Year of Jubilee, a time of liberation and restoration, which parallels the "year of the LORD’s favor."

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
Discusses the coming of God's vengeance upon those who do not know God, aligning with the "day of our God’s vengeance."

Matthew 5:4
Jesus' Beatitude, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted," echoes the promise of comfort in Isaiah 61:2.

Revelation 21:4
Describes a future where God will wipe away every tear, providing ultimate comfort to those who mourn.
No Light Without a ShadowSouthern PulpitIsaiah 61:2
Preaching God's Judgment on SinGee. Barber, in Dr. Dale's Life.Isaiah 61:2
Proclamation of Acceptance and VengeanceIsaiah 61:2
Tears DriedG. W. Humphreys, B. A.Isaiah 61:2
The Year of Acceptance and the Day of VengeanceR. Tuck Isaiah 61:2
The Year of JubileeW. M. Punshon.Isaiah 61:2
The Beneficent MissionW. Clarkson Isaiah 61:1, 2
A Broken HeartR. Macculloch.Isaiah 61:1-8
A Faithful Gospel MinistryR. M. McCheyne.Isaiah 61:1-8
A Trite MinistryJ. Parker, D. D.Isaiah 61:1-8
Causes of Sinners' ImprisonmentT. Boston.Isaiah 61:1-8
Jesus a Preacher of Good Tidings to the MeekT. Boston.Isaiah 61:1-8
Jesus and the Broken-HeartedJ. Vaughan, M. A.Isaiah 61:1-8
Jesus and the MeekT. Boston.Isaiah 61:1-8
Jesus Binds Up the Broken-HeartedT. Boston.Isaiah 61:1-8
Jesus Proclaims Liberty to the CaptivesT. Boston.Isaiah 61:1-8
Jesus the LiberatorJ. Vaughan, M. A.Isaiah 61:1-8
Liberty for Satan's CaptivesR. Macculloch.Isaiah 61:1-8
Liberty to the CaptiveEssex Congregational RemembrancerIsaiah 61:1-8
Satan's BandsT. Boston.Isaiah 61:1-8
Sinners Worse than CaptivesT. Boston.Isaiah 61:1-8
The Gospel ProclamationR. Macculloch.Isaiah 61:1-8
The Sinner's CaptivityR. Macculloch.Isaiah 61:1-8
The Speaker: Probably the Prophet HimselfProf. G. A. Smith, D. D., Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.Isaiah 61:1-8
The Speaker; Probably the Servant of JonahF. Delitzch, D. D.Isaiah 61:1-8
The Spirit a Compensation for the Self-Emptying of JesusT. G. Selby.Isaiah 61:1-8
The Spirit in the Son of ManT. G. Selby.Isaiah 61:1-8
Message of Grace to ZionE. Johnson Isaiah 61:1-9
People
Isaiah, Israelites
Places
City of the Lord, Zion
Topics
Acceptable, Comfort, Favor, Favorable, Lord's, Mourn, Mourners, Pleasure, Proclaim, Punishment, Sad, Vengeance
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 61:2

     1055   God, grace and mercy
     5805   comfort

Isaiah 61:1-2

     2206   Jesus, the Christ
     2366   Christ, prophecies concerning
     3040   Holy Spirit, promise of
     3224   Holy Spirit, and preaching
     5335   herald
     6634   deliverance
     6689   mercy, of Christ
     7482   Year of Jubilee
     7757   preaching, effects
     8422   equipping, spiritual
     9140   last days

Isaiah 61:1-62:12

     6659   freedom, acts in OT

Isaiah 61:1-3

     1620   beatitudes, the
     2039   Christ, joy of
     2354   Christ, mission
     3020   Holy Spirit, joy of
     3218   Holy Spirit, and praise
     3239   Holy Spirit, anointing
     4978   year
     5426   news
     5797   bereavement, comfort in
     5831   depression
     5888   inferiority
     7755   preaching, importance

Isaiah 61:1-4

     5857   fame
     6703   peace, divine OT

Isaiah 61:2-3

     4971   seasons, of life

Library
The Joy-Bringer
'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.'--ISAIAH lxi. 3. In the little synagogue of Nazareth Jesus began His ministry by laying His hand upon this great prophecy and saying, 'It is Mine! I have fulfilled it.' The prophet had been painting the ideal Messianic Deliverer, with special reference to the return from the Babylonian captivity. That was 'the liberty to the captives, and the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Beauty for Ashes
We will read our text again, and then meditate thereon. "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." Our first consideration will be, who gives this word? Secondly, to whom doth he give it? Thirdly, what saith he in it? And, fourthly, what will come of it? I. First then, WHO GIVES THIS
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

Centenary Commemoration
OF THE ELECTION OF BISHOP SEABURY. 1883. THE REV. SAMUEL SEABURY, D.D. WAS ELECTED FIRST BISHOP OF CONNECTICUT AT WOODBURY, MARCH 25, 1783. The one-hundredth anniversary of the election of Bishop Seabury fell on Easter-Day (being also the Festival of the Annunciation), 1883. In accordance with the request of the Diocesan Convention, the Bishop set forth the following special Thanksgiving to be used throughout the Diocese, immediately after the General Thanksgiving at Morning and Evening Prayer on
Various—The Sermons And Addresses At The Seabury Centenary

Thirtieth Lesson. An Holy Priesthood;'
An holy priesthood;' Or, The Ministry of Intercession. An holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.'--I Peter ii. 5. Ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord.'--Isaiah lxi. 6. THE Spirit of the Lord God is upon me: because the Lord hath anointed me.' These are the words of Jesus in Isaiah. As the fruit of His work all redeemed ones are priests, fellow-partakers with Him of His anointing with the Spirit as High Priest. Like the precious ointment upon
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

Christianity Requires the Temper of Childhood.
MARK x. 15.--"Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." These words of our Lord are very positive and emphatic, and will, therefore, receive a serious attention from every one who is anxious concerning his future destiny beyond the grave. For, they mention an indispensable requisite in order to an entrance into eternal life. "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."
William G.T. Shedd—Sermons to the Natural Man

Growth in Grace
'But grow in grace.' 2 Pet 3:38. True grace is progressive, of a spreading and growing nature. It is with grace as with light; first, there is the crepusculum, or daybreak; then it shines brighter to the full meridian. A good Christian is like the crocodile. Quamdiu vivet crescit; he has never done growing. The saints are not only compared to stars for their light, but to trees for their growth. Isa 61:1, and Hos 14:4. A good Christian is not like Hezekiah's sun that went backwards, nor Joshua's
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Christ the Deliverer.
"And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written, The spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that
Frank G. Allen—Autobiography of Frank G. Allen, Minister of the Gospel

"For they that are after the Flesh do Mind the Things of the Flesh,",
Rom. viii. 5.--"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh,", &c. Though sin hath taken up the principal and inmost cabinet of the heart of man--though it hath fixed its imperial throne in the spirit of man, and makes use of all the powers and faculties in the soul to accomplish its accursed desires and fulfil its boundless lusts, yet it is not without good reason expressed in scripture, ordinarily under the name of "flesh," and a "body of death," and men dead in sins, are
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Of the Words Themselves in General.
We come now to the words themselves, wherein Christ asserts that he is, 1, "the way;" 2, "the truth;" 3, "the life;" and, 4, "that no man cometh to the Father but by him." In them we learn these two things in general. First, The misery of wretched man by nature. This cannot be in a few words expressed. These words will point out those particulars thereof, which we will but mention. 1. That he is born an enemy to, and living at a distance from God, by virtue of the curse of the broken covenant of
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Organically One.
"From whom the whole body, fitly joined together and compacted, maketh increase unto the edifying of itself in love." --Ephes. iv. 16. The newness of holy Love lies in the Church. As we look at the withered state of the Church in almost every period, we almost hesitate to make this statement; yet in principle we maintain it to its fullest extent and power. The Church of Christ on earth is like an "incluse." The "inclusi" were honorable men and women who in the Middle Ages immured themselves in little
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The First Galilean Ministry.
The visit to Nazareth was in many respects decisive. It presented by anticipation an epitome of the history of the Christ. He came to His own, and His own received Him not. The first time He taught in the Synagogue, as the first time He taught in the Temple, they cast Him out. On the one and the other occasion, they questioned His authority, and they asked for a sign.' In both instances, the power which they challenged was, indeed, claimed by Christ, but its display, in the manner which they expected,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Not Like unto Us.
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness."--Matt. iv. 1. The representation that Christ's human nature received animating and qualifying influences and impulses directly from His divine nature, altho on the whole incorrect, contains also some truth. We often distinguish between our ego and nature. We say: "I have my nature against me," or "My nature is in my favor"; hence it follows that our person animates and actuates our nature. Applying this to the Person of the Mediator, we must
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

How those are to be Admonished who Desire not the Things of Others, but Keep their Own; and those who Give of their Own, yet Seize
(Admonition 22.) Differently to be admonished are those who neither desire what belongs to others nor bestow what is their own, and those who give of what they have, and yet desist not from seizing on what belongs to others. Those who neither desire what belongs to others nor bestow what is their own are to be admonished to consider carefully that the earth out of which they are taken is common to all men, and therefore brings forth nourishment for all in common. Vainly, then, do those suppose
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Rest for the Weary
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. W hich shall we admire most -- the majesty, or the grace, conspicuous in this invitation? How soon would the greatest earthly monarch be impoverished, and his treasures utterly exhausted, if all, that are poor and miserable, had encouragement to apply freely to him, with a promise of relief, fully answerable to their wants and wishes! But the riches of Christ are unsearchable and inexhaustible. If millions and millions
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Religion Pleasant to the Religious.
"O taste and see how gracious the Lord is; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."--Psalm xxxiv. 8. You see by these words what love Almighty God has towards us, and what claims He has upon our love. He is the Most High, and All-Holy. He inhabiteth eternity: we are but worms compared with Him. He would not be less happy though He had never created us; He would not be less happy though we were all blotted out again from creation. But He is the God of love; He brought us all into existence,
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

"We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. "
1 John ii. 1.--"We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." There is no settlement to the spirit of a sinner that is once touched with the sense of his sins, and apprehension of the justice and wrath of God, but in some clear and distinct understanding of the grounds of consolation in the gospel, and the method of salvation revealed in it. There is no solid peace giving answer to the challenges of the law and thy own conscience, but in the advocation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Jesus visits Nazareth and is Rejected.
^A Matt. XIII. 54-58; ^B Mark VI. 1-6; ^C Luke IV. 16-31. ^b 1 And he went out from thence [from Capernaum] ; and he cometh { ^a And coming} ^b into his own country; and his disciples follow him. ^c 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up [As to this city, see pages 14 and 55. As to the early years of Jesus at Nazareth, see page 60]: ^b 2 And when the sabbath was come ^c he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read. [This does not mean
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Comforts Belonging to Mourners
Having already presented to your view the dark side of the text, I shall now show you the light side, They shall be comforted'. Where observe: 1 Mourning goes before comfort as the lancing of a wound precedes the cure. The Antinomian talks of comfort, but cries down mourning for sin. He is like a foolish patient who, having a pill prescribed him, licks the sugar but throws away the pill. The libertine is all for joy and comfort. He licks the sugar but throws away the bitter pill of repentance. If
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Having spoken of the general notion of blessedness, I come next to consider the subjects of this blessedness, and these our Saviour has deciphered to be the poor in spirit, the mourners, etc. But before I touch upon these, I shall attempt a little preface or paraphrase upon this sermon of the beatitudes. 1 Observe the divinity in this sermon, which goes beyond all philosophy. The philosophers use to say that one contrary expels another; but here one contrary begets another. Poverty is wont to expel
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Consolation
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received at the LORD 's hand double for all her sins. T he particulars of the great "mystery of godliness," as enumerated by the Apostle Paul, constitute the grand and inexhaustible theme of the Gospel ministry, "God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Making and Breaking Connections.
Many Experiences, but One Law. In mechanics power depends on good connections. A visit to any great machine shop makes that clear. There must be good connections in two directions--inward toward the source of power, and outward for use. The same law holds true in spiritual power as in mechanical. There must be good connections. These nights we have been together a few things have seemed clear. We have seen that from the standpoint of our lives there is need of power, as well as from the standpoint
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power

The Indwelling Spirit Fully and Forever Satisfying.
The Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the one who is born of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul says to the believers in Corinth in 1 Cor. iii. 16, R. V., "Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" This passage refers, not so much to the individual believer, as to the whole body of believers, the Church. The Church as a body is indwelt by the Spirit of God. But in 1 Cor. vi. 19, R. V., we read, "Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost which is
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit

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