Donald Polaski ( Authorizing an End: The Isaiah Apocalypse and Intertextuality (Biblical Interpretation Series) 
“The feast YHWH throws in Isaiah 25 parallels those feasts thrown by other emperors. This similar function would tend to put a stamp of approval on that form of government as being favored by YHWH. ‘On that day’ what will change will be who is ultimately in charge but YHWH’s reign will not bring with it any decisive shift in the way governing structures are organized. Transitions between overlords did not necessarily serve as the occasion for extraordinary alterations in local governance. YHWH’s new reign would bring a shift in emperors, not without a certain dislocation, but apparently leaving the local bureaucracy intact.”
Certainly an intriguing political theological conclusion, but in the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy we see not only a circulation of elites but a reorientation of the fundamental structures of ancient empire. For starters, we could simply note that the imperial feast of Isaiah 25 is fulfilled in the feast of the kingdom, presided over by King Jesus, and not by any earthly king.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
