“And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 40:5 Mean?
"The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." Isaiah prophesies a moment when God's glory — his full, unveiled, unmistakable character — becomes universally visible. Not just to Israel. All flesh. Together. Simultaneously.
The word "together" (yachdav) is critical: this isn't a sequential, culture-by-culture revelation. It's simultaneous and universal. Everyone sees it at the same time. No one can claim they didn't know. No one can say the revelation was limited to one group. The glory is for all flesh, and the timing is together.
The chapter's context is John the Baptist's mission — "the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness" (verse 3). The glory that will be revealed is connected to the coming of the one John prepares for: the Messiah. The ultimate revelation of God's glory is not a natural phenomenon but a person — God made flesh.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean to you that all flesh will see God's glory together — not sequentially?
- 2.How has Jesus already fulfilled this prophecy, and how is it still being fulfilled?
- 3.What does 'the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it' add to your confidence in this promise?
- 4.How do you live in anticipation of a revelation that all flesh will see simultaneously?
Devotional
All flesh. Together. Everyone will see God's glory at the same time. Not some people in some places getting a partial view. Not a gradual, generational unfolding. All flesh, together, simultaneously.
Isaiah prophesies a moment of universal, undeniable, comprehensive revelation. The God who has been hidden, misunderstood, debated, and denied will be seen. And not by the spiritually elite — by all flesh. The scholar and the shepherdess. The king and the slave. The believer and the skeptic. Together.
The New Testament identifies this revelation as the incarnation — God's glory taking human form in Jesus. The glory of the LORD was revealed in a Bethlehem stable, walked the roads of Galilee, and hung on a Roman cross. And one day it will be revealed again in a way that no one can miss.
The closing phrase — "the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it" — is the guarantee. This isn't a human prediction or a hopeful wish. God's own mouth declared it. The reliability of the prophecy is sourced in the character of the speaker. If God said it, it will happen.
Whatever partial, fragmented, culturally filtered version of God's glory you've seen so far, Isaiah says: more is coming. And when it comes, it won't be partial, fragmented, or filtered. It will be total. And everyone will see it. Together.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed..... Christ himself, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, and his…
And the glory of the Lord - The phrase here means evidently the majesty, power, or honor of Yahweh. He would display his…
The time to favour Zion, yea, the set time, having come, the people of God must be prepared, by repentance and faith,…
In place of it togetherLXX. has "the salvation of God," borrowing apparently from ch. Isa 52:10. See Luk 3:6.
for the…
Cross References
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