November 1, All Saints B (Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 21:1-6a)
God swallowing up death indicates the ultimate defeat of sorrow and chaos.
The assigned reading from Isaiah embodies key themes for All Saints’ Day: hope, resurrection, and divine triumph over death. It vividly portrays God swallowing up death and wiping away tears, encapsulating belief in eternal life and the unity of all believers. It provides solace to those grieving the loss of loved ones and reaffirms the church’s faith in God’s promises, rendering it an appropriate scripture for remembering our departed saints.
Isaiah 24–27 is often referred to as the Apocalypse of Isaiah. Although this material does not constitute apocalypse in the manner of the book of Daniel or Revelation, it is designated as such due to its vivid imagery of cosmic chaos and divine victory. Scholars generally date these chapters to the postexilic period, approximately the fifth to fourth centuries BCE.
The assigned verses explicitly celebrate God’s victory over chaos, serving as a song of thanksgiving and triumph that positions Jerusalem as a symbol of divine light for the world. This section marks a transition from oracles of judgment in previous chapters to visions of salvation, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and the eschatological hope for all nations.
