Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that this was poetic or figurative language being used by Isaiah to express the joy that nature itself would express at God's word -- both as spoken through the prophets in the Old Testament, as well as by Jesus (the incarnate Word) in the New Testament -- fulfilling the purpose that God intended it to accomplish, including the objective of bringing people to Him. 

(In the case of the trees, the waving and clashing of their branches would be symbolic of this joy because of its visual similarity to people clapping their hands, as they would when they would be happy or excited.)

February 01 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Mark Harris, lecturer in Science and Religion at Edinburgh University, has found at least 2 main ways in which ‘natural praise’ can be interpreted. First, is as a metaphor for human praise, because the texts use human actions such as clapping or singing.

Finally, there is the idea that nature will praise God in the end. There is suffering in the world, but it will not last forever. The praise of both the human and non-human creation is looking forward to that day.

Warren Wendel Wiersbe says the image of CLAPPING (HANDS) means "the Joy of Creation) Psalm 98:8; Isaiah 55:12.

February 02 2019 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report