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Isaiah 66

¹Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool : where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

²For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

³He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

⁴I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

⁵Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

⁶A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

⁷Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

⁸Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

⁹Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

¹⁰Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

¹¹That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

¹²For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

¹³As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

¹⁴And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

¹⁵For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

¹⁶For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

¹⁷They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.

¹⁸For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

¹⁹And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

²⁰And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

²¹And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.

²²For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

²³And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

²⁴And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

on Isaiah 66

The Kingdom And The Glory

Grace is but glory begun,” said Jonathan Edwards, “and glory is but grace perfected.” Whatever begins with God’s grace will lead to God’s glory (1 Peter 5:10), and that includes the nation of Israel.

Isaiah began his “Book of Consolations” (chaps. 40—66) by promising that “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed” (40:5). Now he concludes by describing that glory for us. In these seven chapters, he used the word glory in one form or another at least twenty-three times. When God’s glory is on the scene, everything becomes new.

The Birth of the New Nation

Of course, the remarkable thing will be the “birth of a nation” as Israel takes center stage on the international scene (vv. 7–9). The return of the Jews to their land will be as swift as the birth of a baby. Israel’s “travail” will be “the day of the Lord” or “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), when God will purify His people and prepare them for the coming of their Messiah. Political Israel was born on May 14, 1948, but “the new Israel” will be “born in a day” when they believe on Jesus Christ. Jerusalem will experience joy, peace, and satisfaction (Isa. 66:10–14). Like a nursing baby, she will find health and peace in the arms of the Lord. “Peace like a river” reminds us of Isaiah’s words to Ahaz (85:5–8) and God’s promises in 41: and 48:18.

There will be a new temple (66:1–6; Ezek. 40— 48), but the ceremonies of worship can never take the place of a humble heart. God does not live in buildings; He dwells with those who submit to Him. Stephen quoted Isaiah 66:1–2 in his defense before the Jews (Acts 7:48–50), and Paul referred to these words in his address to the Athenian philosophers (17:24).

In Isaiah’s day, were God’s people trembling at His Word? No, they were not. Instead, they were going through the motions of worship without having a heart for God. The people were not sacrificing the animals; they were murdering them! Because their hearts were far from God (Isa. 29:13), their offerings were as unclean things to the Lord. It is the heart of the worshipper that determines the value of the offering.

God’s hand will bring blessing to His servants but “indignation toward His enemies” (66:14), and Isaiah described that “indignation” in verses 15–18. The day of the Lord will be a storm of judgment with fire and whirlwinds and with the sword of God, “And those slain by the Lord shall be many.”

Who will be slain? Those who have disobeyed God’s law in their eating and their worshipping (vv. 17–18). Instead of worshipping the true and living God, they turned to pagan idols and pagan practices. It is not enough to be “religious”; we must serve Him according to what He says in His Word (8:20).

The book closes with a description of messengers going to the ends of the earth to announce what God has done for Israel (66:19). The result will be a flow of people to Jerusalem (see 50:3–14; 66:12) to bring offerings to the Lord. In the past, Gentile nations came to Jerusalem to attack and destroy, but in the Kingdom Age, they will come to worship and glorify God.

The book ends on a seemingly negative note describing worshippers looking at the desecrated and decayed corpses of the rebels (v. 24). The Valley of Hinnom (Hebrew, ge hinnom = Gehenna in the Greek) is a picture of judgment (30:33). Jesus used it to picture hell (Mark 9:43–48). The people who come to Jerusalem to worship will also go outside the city to this “garbage dump” and be reminded that God is a consuming fire (Jer. 7:32).

Throughout his book, Isaiah has presented us with alternatives: Trust the Lord and live, or rebel against the Lord and die. He has explained the grace and mercy of God and offered His forgiveness. He has also explained the holiness and wrath of God and warned of His judgment. He has promised glory for those who will believe and judgment for those who scoff. He has explained the foolishness of trusting man’s wisdom and the world’s resources.

The prophet calls the professing people of God back to spiritual reality. He warns against hypocrisy and empty worship. He pleads for faith, obedience, a heart that delights in God, and a life that glorifies God.

“‘There is no peace,’ saith the Lord, ‘unto the wicked’” (Isa. 48:22; 57:21); for in order to have peace, you must have righteousness (32:17). The only way to have righteousness is through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:19–31).

Isaiah’s message has been “Be comforted by the Lord!” (See Isa. 12:1; 40:1–2; 49:13; 51:3, 19; 52:9; 54:11; 57:18; 61:2; 66:13.) But God cannot comfort rebels! If we are sinning against God and comfortable about it, something is radically wrong. That false comfort will lead to false confidence, and that will lead to the chastening hand of God

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found” (55:6).

“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (1:18).

“O Lord, I will praise You; though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me” (12: nkjv).

J E R E M I A HBE COMFORTED! G e n e s i s 1 S a m u e l E x o d u s 2 S a m u e l L e v i t i c u s 1 K i n g s N u m b e r s 2 K i n g s D e u t e r o n o m y 1 C h r o n i c l e s J o s h u a 2 C h r o n i c l e s J u d g e s E z r a R u t h N e h e m i a h

Key theme: Repent and return to the Lord or He will judge.

Key verse: Jeremiah 3: