The Year of the Lord’s Favor to Israel and the Day Of God’s Vengeance on Israel

In Isaiah 61:1-2, God, through the prophet Isaiah, foretold of a time when Jesus would proclaim to Israel the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of God’s vengeance.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me [Jesus], because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God…

At the beginning of Jesus’ teachings to Israel, he went to his childhood synagogue and read from Isaiah 61:1-2.

Luke wrote about this in Luke 4:16-21.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (NIV)

Notice that when Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2, he stopped after proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.

He did not read - and the day of the vengeance of our God.

However, at the end of Jesus’ teachings to Israel, he did proclaim the vengeance of God upon Israel.

Luke 21:20-22 says,

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Those who are inside the city must depart. Those who are out in the country must not enter it, because these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. (NET Bible)

In these verses, we learn the days of vengeance are the days that Jerusalem is surrounded by armies and left desolate, meaning the armies surrounding Jerusalem would destroy Jerusalem, leaving it desolate.

Jesus spoke about the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple in Matthew 23:37-38.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! Look, your house [the temple] is left to you desolate!" (NET Bible)

Prior to the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple by armies, the year of the Lord’s favor would be upon Israel.

The year of the Lord’s favor was the time from when Jesus announced to Israel that he was the Christ (the one the Jewish Scriptures said would come to be the world’s Savior-King) until the time Jerusalem would be destroyed by armies and left desolate.

The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was based upon Israel’s violations to the Law of Moses, according Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-32.

In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-32, we read that Israel’s violations to the law would result in the day of God’s vengeance when Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed.

In Deuteronomy 32:35-43, God spoke about the days of vengeance upon Israel for their law-based violations.

These are the same days Jesus spoke about in Luke 21 when he stated the days of vengeance were about to be fulfilled.

The days of vengeance were carried out by the Roman armies in AD 70 when Rome, under the military leadership of Titus, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.

With this destruction, Jerusalem and the temple were left desolate.

From the time Jesus presented himself to Israel as the Christ until the time Jerusalem and the temple were left desolate by the Roman armies, the year of the Lord’s favor was upon Israel.

This was the time when the people of Israel could believe in Jesus as the Christ prior to the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple.

When the armies of Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70, the year of the Lord’s favor was over and the day of God’s vengeance had come.

This vengeance was poured out upon first-century, unbelieving Israel who called for Jesus’ crucifixion and who killed many Jewish believers in Jesus, such as Stephen in Acts 6-8.

The Book of Revelation foretold of the days of God’s vengeance (compare Deuteronomy 32:43 and Revelation 6:10).

To read more of Brad’s blogs on the Book of Revelation, CLICK HERE.

In the fall of 2025, Brad’s book on Revelation will be released:
Revelation: The Destruction of Old Covenant Jerusalem, The Construction of New Covenant Jerusalem

In December of 2024, Brad’s book on Daniel 9 will be released:
490 Years Determined For The People Of Israel and The City Of Jerusalem.

For Brad’s most recent book on Daniel 2, The Stone, The Statue, and The Kingdom of Grace: CLICK HERE.