20150714 Tuesday, July 14 2015
Isaiah 26: Life From The Dust - Past And Future

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again ... Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust"

The English-language word "dust" originated from an Anglo-Saxon word that had earlier originated from the pronunciation of a Greek word (English and Greek use very different alphabets) that meant vapor, as in a fine water mist that could be blown in the wind i.e. a fog. The term was later applied to fine, dry mineral or organic material that could be carried by the wind in the same way. The ancient Biblical Hebrew word, pronounced aw-fawr, which is usually translated as "dust," also means a fine organic or mineral material, including ashes (see the Fact Finder question below). As recorded at the most ancient time, all of those conditions are found in the Genesis account of the creation of the first human (see also Adam and Adamah).

"2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 2:6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:4-9 KJV)

When humans became sinners, they were cut off and blocked from the "tree of life" that they up to that time had free access to (see Which Tree Will You Pick Fruit From?) and were sentenced to death in, and as, the dust from which they came (see also Who Created Weeds?).

"3:17 And unto Adam he said,

Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:17-19 KJV)

Humans, animals (see also What Did The LORD Say About Animals? and Amazing Bible Facts About Animals) and plants were all created, by the power of the Holy Spirit, from "dust" (see also Meet Your Maker).

"3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. 3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" (Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 KJV) "12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7 KJV)

The Holy Spirit is what created physical life (see also Einstein's Holy Spirit Formula; also Rescuing Charles Darwin From The Atheists). The Holy Spirit is also the power that maintains physical life.

"34:14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 34:15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust." (Job 34:14-15 KJV)

The prophets, including people like King David who is not usually regarded as a prophet (but most-certainly was e.g. see David's Resurrection Prophecy and David's View From The Cross), understood what created life from dust - and how the resurrection of the dead will be done in exactly the same way.

"104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth." (Psalm 104:29-30 KJV)

Job too, even in his time of greatest tribulation when he expected to die, also expected to be restored to life from the dust (see Job's Prophecy Of The Resurrection).

"7:20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? 7:21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be." (Job 7:20-21 KJV)

The prophet Daniel (see the complete series for Daniel beginning with The Prophet Daniel: A Child Of The Exile) also plainly wrote of how the dead will resurrected from the dust in the time of Salvation and Judgment: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

"12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:1-3 KJV)

So too Isaiah saw it plainly: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead" (verse 19 below; see also What Do The Dead Know?).

"26:1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah;

We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. 26:2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: 26:5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. 26:6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

26:7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 26:10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. 26:11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

26:12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 26:13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 26:14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

26:15 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.

26:16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 26:17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. 26:18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 26:21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Isaiah 26:1-21 KJV)

Fact Finder: Where did the term "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" originate?
See Is 'Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust' Really In The Bible?