(Note to the reader, this study should be viewed as a cross-reference to another post, Isaiah Chapter 29: “A Book that is Sealed” https://bereansearching.com/2018/02/16/isaiah-chapter-29-a-book-that-is-sealed/)
Introduction: Spiritual Ears, Spiritual Eyes
In Proverbs 20:12 we are told something that is extremely important. “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.”
If a person is not physically deaf or physically blind at birth, or later by disease or accident, does not everyone have ears that hear and eyes that see? So what is the point of this verse?
The answer is that God is NOT talking about physical ears and physical eyes. God is talking about spiritual ears and spiritual eyes, which are NOT innate capabilities that form part of any natural human being’s anatomy. They have to be bestowed on a person by the grace of God (the Lord) alone to impart the new birth when a person is “born again” through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. The abilities to spiritually hear and spiritually see are solely the gift of God to whomever God chooses. And we know from Matthew 22:14, that Jesus clearly said, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” This means that there are going to be only a relatively few who have been given such spiritual ears and spiritual eyes because that gift is synonymous with salvation.
Moreover, God tells us plainly, in three passages in the Bible, why Jesus spoke in Parables:
- In Matthew 13:10-17 we read, “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias (Isaiah 6:8-10), which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
- In Mark 4:11+12 we read, “And he (Jesus Christ speaking to His disciples) said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.”
- In Luke 8:9&10, we read , “And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.“
One has to wonder, “How this can be?”, given that God states so very clearly and plainly how He uses parables to veil the mystery of the kingdom of God from unbelievers. It makes absolutely no sense from the perspective of normal human reasoning. This is because it depends entirely on the supernatural intercession of God as He sees fit. Moreover, Jesus openly explains two of His parables (The Parable of the Sower as found in Matthew 13:3-9, Mark 4:3-9, Luke 8:5-8) which anyone can physically read in Matthew 13:10-16, Mark 4:14-20, Luke 8:11-15 (together with the companion “Parable of the Wheat and the Tares” as found in Matthew 13:24-30, which Jesus explained in Matthew 13:36-43, Please see the parable of the Sower here: https://bereansearching.com/2018/03/20/the-parable-of-the-sower-the-bibles-rosetta-stone/)
Nonetheless, it will mean NOTHING to an unbeliever beyond the merely intellectual. That is why at the end of the Sower parable, Jesus said respectively in Matthew 13:9, Mark 4:9, Luke 8:8 “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.“
The answer to this conundrum is that even if a parable is clearly explained to a person who remains an unbeliever (one whom God does not intend to “hear” or “see” or “perceive” or “understand” the meaning), then the salvation imbuing essence (The Holy Spirit) will not be manifest…and the Word of God will still remain completely veiled or hidden to that person. On the other hand, if God so chooses to save a person, then that person will be given the Holy Spirit and with The Holy Spirit come the spiritual ears and spiritual eyes and that person will have the Word of God applied to his or her heart. We also know that salvation through Jesus Christ is through the “hearing” of His Word (Romans 10:17, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“) that they might all know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
An Unbeliever is Spiritually Dead, and Therefore Cannot Spiritually Hear or See
God also tells us in the Bible that the unbeliever, due to the Fall of Adam, is by nature rebellious, and therefore, by nature…apart from God’s direct intervention…will be remain spiritually dead and completely unable to spiritually hear or spiritually see God through His Word. They are compared to those who are physically blind and deaf. Ezekiel 12:2 makes this clear when God told the prophet Ezekiel, “Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they [are] a rebellious house.” It is particularly important to remember back when Moses was lecturing Israel for its unbelief…even though the Israelites had seen many, many miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness with their “physical eyes” in Deuteronomy 29:4…”Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.” Those Israelites remained spiritually deaf and blind in unbelief. This is reiterated in Romans 11:5-8, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. ¶ What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written [Deuteronomy 29:4, see also and Isaiah 6:10], God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear; ) unto this day.” And Psalm 69:23 tells us that for those who opposed Jesus and His Gospel, “Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.”
And then Romans 15:21 makes clear to us that while the Israelites remained spiritually deaf and blind, the Gentiles would “see” and “hear” and “understand”, “But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.” Paul was referring back to Isaiah 52:15 which reads, “So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for [that] which had not been told them shall they see; and [that] which they had not heard shall they consider.“
And when Jesus was speaking about the ears that could not hear and the eyes that could not see, Jesus was referring back to what we read in Isaiah 6:8-10, because Isaiah was talking about Jesus (He is the “I” and “me”)…”Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here [am] I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.“
Paul reiterated this point in Acts 28:24-28 ...”And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet (Isaiah 6:9)unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.¶ Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and [that] they will hear it.” The Gentiles would be ingrafted into the family of God through the “hearing” of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
In Psalm 146:8 we read, “The LORD openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:“
In Psalm 147:19, God tells us that He shows (reveals) His Word to His people, the Elect, the believers, typified by Jacob and Israel, “He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.“
Isaiah 29:9-14…“Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.”
Isaiah 29:18, “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.” We must remember that Jesus PHYSICALLY fulfilled this prophesy during His Ministry as we read in Luke 7:22, “Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” But, because of Jesus’s Ministry and Sacrifice, each and every one of the named miracles (that include the deaf hearing and the blind seeing) continued to be fulfilled SPIRITUALLY throughout the whole New Testament era. Remember also that Paul was guided to refer back to Isaiah 49:8 when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:2 “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)“
Isaiah 32:3, “And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.“
Isaiah 35:5, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.”
Isaiah 42:7...”I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”
Isaiah 43:8, “Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.“
Jeremiah 5:21…”Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not.”
The New Testament Expounds On the Old With Jesus Speaking in Parables
Matthew 13: 13-17…“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
(And please remember that Jesus was referring back to Isaiah (Esaias in Greek) 6:9-10, “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.“)
Note that in Mark 4:23 we read where Jesus explicitly said, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” which is repeated again in Mark 7:16, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.“
Luke 9:44&45…Jesus specifically declared to His disciples what was about to happen to Him, and they heard it not because “it was hid from them“, “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.”
Luke 18:31-34… Again Jesus tells the disciples in detail what will happen next, “Then he took [unto him] the twelve, and said unto them,Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge [him], and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”
Please let that sink in! The words that Jesus spoke had no impact at the time because it was supernaturally “hid” from the disciples!
Luke 19:41&42…Jesus wept over Jerusalem where we read, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things [which belong] unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.“
John 8:43…Jesus speaking to the Pharisees said, “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.”
John 12:16…Note that it was not until after Jesus’s ascension that the disciples understood that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament scripture and prophecies…”These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and [that] they had done these things unto him.”
John 12:38-41…”That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.” See also Mark 9:31&32
In Acts 26:18, we are told how Jesus miraculously appeared to Saul (Paul) on the road to Damascus and commissioned Paul to preach to the Gentiles for this specific purpose…”To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Hallelujah!
2 Corinthians 4:3-6, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.“
The Flock Hear The Voice of The Good Shepherd:
We should also bear in mind these Words of Jesus, the Good Shepherd ( as given to us in John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand. I and [my] Father are one.”
Jesus is The Good Shepherd Who lays down His life for His sheep: John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.“
And then what did we read in Matthew 17:5, “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.“
The Hearing Ear?
God tells us Isaiah 55:3 (But please also read the whole wonderful chapter to see the blessings for the believers there), “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.“
And note that having an ear to hear is mentioned 7 times in the book of Revelation with respect to what “the Spirit saith unto the churches.“
- Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God“.
- Revelation 2:11 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death“.
- Revelation 2:17 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.“
- Revelation 2:29 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
- Revelation 3:6 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.“
- Revelation 3:13 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.“
- Revelation 3:22 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.“
And please let us not forget Psalm 119:18, where we are instructed to say to God, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous (פָּלָא (pālā’) H6381) things out of thy law.” And we know that Jesus Christ, The Saviour, is “Wonderful” from Isaiah 9:6 (פֶּלֶא (pele’) H6382); which is derived from (פָּלָא (pālā’) H6381) a miracle:—marvellous thing, extraordinary, wonder(-ful, -fully). And why do we need to have our eyes opened?…well it is because of what we read in Isaiah 45:15, “Verily thou [art] a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.”
We need God to give us the “spiritual ears to hear” and the “spiritual eyes to see” that Jesus Christ Is our Only Hope for salvation, as it explained throughout all of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments.
And finally in Revelation 13:9…”If any man have an ear, let him hear.”
Admittedly, this is all hard for the general reader to accept on the face of it, but God also shows us how He can and does hide anything from anyone as He sees fit. Look again at the example that we are given in Luke 18:31-34, where Jesus point blank told His twelve disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to be put to death and rise again from the dead on the third day in fulfillment of prophesy, “Then he took [unto him] the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge [him], and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.“, but then we immediately read next, “And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”
Jesus’s Healing the Deaf and Blind Was an Earthly Allegory of the Spiritual Healing That Comes with Salvation
NOTE: The reader should also be aware that the whole of Chapter 9 of the Book of John is the account of the blind man, blind from birth, who Jesus opened the man’s eyes on a Sabbath day that the man could see. While the account should be read in its entirety, some key points are these: 1) When the Pharisees asked the man how he could see, the man explained that Jesus put clay (made with the spittle of Jesus, see verse 6) and then washed in the pool of Siloam as directed by Jesus and then could see. 2) the Pharisees and some of the Jews refused to believe that it was possible, even though they asked the man three times “How were thine eyes opened?” and his parents once. The formerly blind man answered, “one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” and then when questioned the third time said, “Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and [yet] he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” The Pharisees became incensed and cast the man out of the synagogue. 3) Later Jesus met the man (whom Jesus had healed and who was cast out by the pharisees) and we read in verses John 9:35-41, where, after Jesus affirmed to the man that He is the Son of God, “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heardthese words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.“
Moreover, in Mark 7:31-35, Jesus similarly healed a deaf man, “And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.“
So then, once again we are assured that what we read in Proverbs 20:12 is true, “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.” And the key takeaway from these historical literal accounts, is that they are there to teach us that we are all from birth born spiritually deaf and blind, but God The Father, in His mercy, through Jesus Christ His Son, by the Power of His Holy Spirit, can make us to hear Him spiritually and to see Him spiritually by His Word. Romans 10:17, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Remember that only God can make anyone to hear or see, both physically and spiritually, as we read in Exodus 4:11, “And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?” And then we we go to Matthew 20:32-34, “And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion [on them], and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.”
And remember also in Luke 24:44&45 where Jesus was with the disciples after His resurrection, “And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,“
And finally lets take a look at Matthew 13:10-17 , “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed [are] your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous [men] have desired to see [those things] which ye see, and have not seen [them]; and to hear [those things] which ye hear, and have not heard [them].”
It is this writer’s prayer that this may be the same for all whom God has brought to this website, that they might be spiritually quickened (made alive) by the Holy Spirit such they would have the “eyes to see” and “ears to hear” so that they will have peace with God through His Dear Son, Jesus Christ our LORD. This prayer is exactly the same as Paul wrote to the Ephesians in Ephesians 1:17 &18, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”
ONE MORE THING
Jesus Fulfilled the First Half of Isaiah 6:2 in Nazareth in Luke 4
In Luke 4:16&17 we read where Jesus came to Nazareth, Jesus’s home town, and on the sabbath day He stood up and opened the book of Isaiah (Esaias in Greek) as we read here, “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,“
Jesus then began reading from Isaiah 61:1–2 as is recounted in Luke 4:18–21, said, “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat down.
“And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” It is clear that after Jesus spoke the Word, that the eyes all the people were locked on Jesus (Jesus is the “Word made flesh” John 1:14) and Jesus spoke into their ears.
Jesus Closed the Book Half Way Through Isaiah 6:2
Very interestingly, what was not read by Jesus in the Luke account, but which is recorded in the second part of the verse of Isaiah 61:2, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance (Naqam נָקָם) of our God; to comfort (Nahum נָחַם) all that mourn;” Jesus stopped before making reference to the day of God’s “vengeance” (Naqam נָקָם), which will be Judgment Day…and it most certainly was not fulfilled on when Jesus was reading in the synagogue. That Day of Vengeance (Judgment Day) is still to come…albeit shortly.
We should all pay close attention to these three points…
1) In the Luke account, It was Jesus Who “opened the book” of Isaiah in verse 17, because it is really only Jesus, as the Son of God, Who can “open” “the book.”
Note how this is later reiterated in in Revelation 5:2-9, where Jesus Is The Only One Who Is Worthy to open the book, “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloodout of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”
And note also that there is one remaining reference to the “open book” in Revelation 10:1 “¶And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.” Jesus Christ is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Jesus Is The Mighty Messenger from Heaven, Who shines like the sun, and will be coming on the clouds of Glory, with the rainbow of Noah, and His feet in Judgment.
It should also be noted that it was setting was at the end of the world, because if we read a little later in Revelation 10:6&7, it says, “…that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. Then the last verse says that the angel (The Messenger, Who is Jesus) had the Apostle John eat the little open book and told him that, “…Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” The little book is the Bible, and it is the means by which the believers prophesy the revealed mystery of the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ Alone.
2) and it was Jesus Who “closed the book” half way through the second verse of Isaiah 61:2, after which Jesus said “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”; and
3) The reason that Jesus “closed the book” at that point is because the rest of the verse is pointing directly to Judgment Day, at which time Jesus will bring vengeance for God’s enemies and comfort to the believers. Jesus had to “close the book” if He was going to say the prophesy was “fulfilled” in their ears that day!
Jesus could not go any further in the text, and had to stop mid-verse, because Judgment Day is only going to be fulfilled at when Jesus comes back from Heaven the “end of the world”! That is pretty amazing if anyone stops to think about it!
Remember also that in Revelation 3:7 we read that only Jesus has the “key of David” and only Jesus Is The One Who “openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;” and in Revelation 5:5, that Only Jesus, “the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book“. And regarding God’s sovereignty, these two verses are both consistent with Job 11:10, “If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?“
What is also a comfort for the believer, is that Jesus said that He would send the “Comforter” the “Spirit of Truth” Who would lead His sheep into “all Truth” and He would speak of Jesus (John 15:26, and John 16:13). Believers are given the promise that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, would open the book (the Bible) for us to see Jesus. In Luke 4, Jesus specifically said that He would open the eyes of the blind…”recovering of sight to the blind.” See also: Proverbs 25:2, Proverbs 20:12, Psalms 119:18. Similarly
Finally, it is most interesting that, in Isaiah 34:16, God tells us directly to read “the book” (the Bible),
“Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.”
Conclusion
Everyone thinks that they have “Ears to hear” and “Eyes to see“, but the reality is that it is only possible to spiritually hear and spiritually see IF God Wills anyone to be so blessed, otherwise everyone would remain deaf and blind to the Truth, Who is Jesus. The result of such blessing is synonymous with Salvation as opposed to eternal judgment for sin. In John 9:5, Jesus announced, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” after which he immediately healed a blind man, “born blind”. We see similar references to physical healing that point to the spiritually healing culminating in Matthew 11:4&5 with, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” Then we read later in John 9:39, ”And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”
And please also remember that it is only through God’s mercy alone, that, just as it was for the people before and below the prophet Ezra (whose name means “Help” and served as a “Type” of Jesus) in Nehemiah 8:8, that we can still be so blessed…”So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.” Hallelujah!
It should also be noted that after explaining the “Parable of the Sower”, Jesus spoke forth other parables pertaining of the “Kingdom of Heaven”, such as the “Mustard Seed”, the “Leaven”, the “Wheat and the Tares” (which Jesus also explained to the disciples), the “Hidden Treasure”, the “Pearl of Great Price”, and the “Fisher’s Net”, Jesus asked the disciples if they understood. We read in Matthew 13:51&52, “Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which] is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that] is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.”
We should remember that, according to Nehemiah 8:1&2, Ezra was both a scribe and a Chief (High) Priest of the Levitical priesthood via Aaron (see both Ezra 7:1-5 Ezra 7:11) and (and while Ezra was established by God as a “Type” of Jesus Christ, Jesus being of the tribe of Judah (not Levi) was the Ultimate High Priest (after the Order of Melchizedek Psalm 110:4), but that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are also considered by God to be “Kings and Priests” in Christ (according to Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10). The scribe is a believer who is a teacher and expounds the Word of God (the Bible) as “his treasure” from both the Old and New Testaments. See Isaiah 33:5-6: “The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, [and] strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD [is] his treasure.“
And is it not interesting that God tells us directly in Proverbs 2:1-6, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.” And also remember what we are told in Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.”
And is it not also interesting that we read in Colossiansl 2:2&3, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
And finally, in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.” For more on what it means to “Fear God” please see the verses listed here: https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfmCriteria=Fear+God&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Nehemiah 8:5-8, “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with [their] faces to the ground”. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people [stood] in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.” The scribes and priests cause the people to understand what the Bible says!
Postscript: Man’s Wisdom Will Perish
Just as we read earlier in Isaiah 29:14, “Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, [even] a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise [men] shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent [men] shall be hid.“, we also read in Obadiah 8, “Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise [men] out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?”
And in 1 Corinthians 1:17-31, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written (Isaiah 29:14), I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. ¶ Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.¶ For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written (Jeremiah 9:24), He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
Matthew 5:8, “Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
Finally, in 1 Corinthians 2:9-14 (where Paul refers back to Isaiah 64:4),we read, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¶ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spiritof God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.“
And remember the dire warning from God in 2Thessalonians 2:1-17, particularly verses 11 and 12, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness”.
And yet there is still more to consider...
We must not be only “hearers” of the Word, but also “doers”.
James 1:22-25, “¶But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.“
James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
James 2:26 “¶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.“
Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.“
1 Corinthians 13:1, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” “Charity” is the highest “love”
2 Corinthians 5:11 “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” Judgment Day is coming and Jesus Is our Only Hope!
Galatians 1:10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.“
Romans 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”
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