Isaiah
Chapter 66
Isaiah 66:1-4
1 Thus 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?
2 For 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. 3 He 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.
4 I 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.
In this last chapter, the LORD (Heb yhwh-יהוה) speaks of His glory and power!
“The
heaven is My throne, and the earth is My
footstool! Where is the (earthly) house that you build for Me? And, where is the place of my rest?
In verse 2 we find, “All of those
things I have made!” How much of
creation did God make?
In the midst of all that is the man
upon whom I will look! God describes Him as being “poor” and having a “contrite
spirit” who “trembles” (Heb. ḥārēd-חָרֵד), holds His word in extreme reverence!
Many who speak when God has given
them nothing to say, and, to the unspiritual what they say sounds very good!
However, that “man” referred to here is the man Christ Jesus!
To Christ Jesus, the sacrifices
offered by the unholy Priests in the Temple were not worthy of the Holy God!
That is why verse 3 tells us, “They have chosen their own ways, and their soul
delight in their abominations.” That
describes all who just pretend to ne godly when their hearts are as black as
the sin they practice! Please keep in
mind that this was written prior to the crucifixion!
In verse 4, God declares, “I also
will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them, because when
I called, none answered, and when I spoke, they did not hear! However they did
evil before My eyes, and chose to do those things in
which I delighted not!”
Isaiah 66:5-14
5 Hear 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.
6 A voice of noise from the city, a
voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth
recompence to his enemies.
7 Before she travailed, she brought
forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
8 Who 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.
9 Shall 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.
10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye
that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
11 That 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.
12 For 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.
13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be
comforted in Jerusalem.
14 And 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.
Then, God speaks to those who are
His!
“Hear the word of the LORD (Heb yhwh-יהוה), all you that tremble at His word: Your brothers that
hated you, that cast you out for My name's sake, said,
Let the LORD (Heb yhwh-יהוה) be glorified! But, He shall appear to your joy, and they
(those who rejected Christ Jesus) shall be ashamed.”
When Christ returns we shall rejoice while the rest of
humanity mourns (Rev 1:7)!
Now, we hear a voice from Temple in Jerusalem, the voice of
the LORD giving “recompence” to His enemies! The
universe was created by the Word (John 1:3),
recompense shall be given by the Word! Christ Jesus is the Word by which all
shall be judged (John 5:22, Rev 19:11-16)!
With verse 7 we switch to focus on Israel! That is also reflected in Revelation 12! Here
is the story of the birth of Christ Jesus! That is followed in verse 8 by the
rebirth of the nation of Israel!
Question: “Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one
day?”
Answer: Yes!
Question: Or, shall a nation be born
at once?
Answer: Yes!
The fact is the Zion travailed! And, she brought forth her
children, Christians!
Then, God asks, “Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause
to bring forth?”
And…
“Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb?”
What we refer to as the New Testament focuses on Gentiles,
and then changes focus back to Israel.
These chapters in Isaiah follow the same pattern! They do not return to corrupted Judaism, but
instead to Israel!
God tells us, “Rejoice you all with Jerusalem, and be glad
with her, all you who love her! Rejoice for joy with her, all you that mourn
for her!
So That you all may take spiritual nourishment, and be
satisfied with the breasts of her consolations!
So that you may drink of the milk of the Spirit,
and find delight in her glory!
The LORD will extend
peace to Israel like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing
stream!
That shall come about
as with a mother comforts her child! In
it is that manner that God will tenderly comfort both Gentiles and those in
Jerusalem!
Our hearts shall rejoice, and we shall flourish! The hand of the
LORD shall be known to His servants, but His indignation shall be known to His
enemies!
Isaiah
66:15-24
15 For, 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.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all
flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They 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.
18 For 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.
19 And 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.
20 And 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.
21 And I will also take of them for priests and for
Levites, saith the LORD. 22 For 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.
23 And 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. 24 And 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.
The LORD (Heb yhwh-יהוה) will come with fire, and with His chariots like a
whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
That speaks of judgment on those who will not acknowledge
Christ Jesus! In that day, “the slain of
the LORD shall be many.”
The day of vengeance is a terrible day for those who have
rejected Christ! Those who have become sanctified by their relationship with
Christ shall be safe in the day of vengeance!
Some Rabbis teach that this section tells of Israel’s return
to their homeland. As I write this, many
nations, including many leaders in the U.S. are still looking for a way to deny
Israel a homeland! They shall be
crushed!
One of the undeniable tracts of God is that He is omniscient, all-knowing! The first part of verse 18 verifies
that!
God is also omnipotent, all powerful! You notice that He says, “I will gather all
nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My
glory.” The Father does not need human
help to accomplish that!
Verse 19 tells of the Diaspora! Jews were scattered to many
nations. In some, after many centuries
they seemed to lose the identity. It was
lost to all but God!
Today, many Jews have not seen God’s glory! If they had they would have come to Christ
Jesus! However, in that day all Israel shall fulfill their destiny and declare
the glory of God to Gentiles!
Verse 23 tells us something that many Christians deny. It says, “all flesh
come to worship before Me”! It does not
say that all that is left shall come. IT says that all shall come!
The psalms carry the same message!
Ps 65:2b to You all
flesh will come.
Ps 66:4 All the
earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; they shall sing praises to
Your name.
Ps 72:11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before
Him; all nations shall serve
Him.
All nations shall serve God!
All nations (Heb. goyim-םיוג/Gentiles), all Gentiles
shall serve God!
Ps 86:9 All nations whom You have made shall come
and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.
This
verse is even more explicit!
It
says that all nations (Gentiles) that God made shall come and worship before
Him, and shall glorify His name!
How
many Gentiles did God make?
Our
traditions need more study!
Verse seems to be in opposition to verse 23. However, when seen through the prism of the
whole it may explain what we have come to know as “eternal” torment! No such torment can be “eternal!” the fact is
that things with beginnings are not eternal!
Hebrew has no single word that may be translated
“eternal.” Isaiah ends as do many Hebrew
prophecies on a negative note, whereas Christianity is an uplifting teaching
and ends in a joyous and glorious relationship with Christ Jesus, our Lord!