Isaiah 66 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Isaiah 66

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

66:1   Thus says the LORD:
  “Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
  what is the house that you would build for me,
    and what is the place of my rest?
2   All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came to be,
      declares the LORD.
  But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.
3   “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
    he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
  he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood;
    he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
  These have chosen their own ways,
    and their soul delights in their abominations;
4   I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and bring their fears upon them,
  because when I called, no one answered,
    when I spoke, they did not listen;
  but they did what was evil in my eyes
    and chose that in which I did not delight.”
5   Hear the word of the LORD,
    you who tremble at his word:
  “Your brothers who hate you
    and cast you out for my name’s sake
  have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified,
    that we may see your joy’;
    but it is they who shall be put to shame.
6   “The sound of an uproar from the city!
    A sound from the temple!
  The sound of the LORD,
    rendering recompense to his enemies!

Rejoice with Jerusalem

7   “Before she was in labor
    she gave birth;
  before her pain came upon her
    she delivered a son.
8   Who has heard such a thing?
    Who has seen such things?
  Shall a land be born in one day?
    Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?
  For as soon as Zion was in labor
    she brought forth her children.
9   Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”
    says the LORD;
  “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?”
    says your God.
10   “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
    all you who love her;
  rejoice with her in joy,
    all you who mourn over her;
11   that you may nurse and be satisfied
    from her consoling breast;
  that you may drink deeply with delight
    from her glorious abundance.”¹
12   For thus says the LORD:
  “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
    and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
  and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
    and bounced upon her knees.
13   As one whom his mother comforts,
    so I will comfort you;
    you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14   You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
    your bones shall flourish like the grass;
  and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants,
    and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

Final Judgment and Glory of the Lord

15   “For behold, the LORD will come in fire,
    and his chariots like the whirlwind,
  to render his anger in fury,
    and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16   For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment,
    and by his sword, with all flesh;
    and those slain by the LORD shall be many.

17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the LORD.

18 “For I know² their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming³ to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, 19 and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21 And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD.

22   “For as the new heavens and the new earth
    that I make
  shall remain before me, says the LORD,
    so shall your offspring and your name remain.
23   From new moon to new moon,
    and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
  all flesh shall come to worship before me,
  declares the LORD.

24 “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Footnotes

[1] 66:11 Or breast
[2] 66:18 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew lacks know
[3] 66:18 Hebrew and it is coming

Commentary

v1: The greatness of God; the antidote to ritualistic religion; the building of special buildings is seen as futile. Solomon realised this, 1 Kings 8.27, and Stephen also quoted these words, Acts 7.49-50, much to the annoyance of the Jewish leaders.

v2: The repentant man is preferred before the holy place; he is accepted by God, and he learns to heed what God has said.

v3-4: The people treated the things of God badly, being undiscerning and careless, making no distinction between good and evil. The judgment of God gives the people what they really wanted; He chose their delusions, and brought their fears on them.

The Lord demands proper reverence, and a life that reflects His character. Genuine mistakes, where the attitude is sincere, are 'overlooked.' Do we choose what He delights in?

v5: True believers are persecuted by the religious; many are hated by their brethren. True believers will know the joy of their Lord, and others will be ashamed.

v6: The noise from the city as God judges His enemies, those who hated the brethren. See Obad 10-14, where Edom is judged by God for hatred of his brethren.

v7-9: The rebirth of the nation will be swift. Zion, born of God, the people of God, created and preserved by His will.

v10-11: The joy of Jerusalem, shared by those who identify with her. This is something satisfying.

v12-13: Blessings of God centred upon Jerusalem; Isaiah returns to the theme of 40.1-2; comfort has come because judgment is past. And there is blessing for all the earth because Jerusalem is blessed.

v14-16: The blessing upon Israel is linked with judgment upon His enemies. This too will demonstrate the power and righteousness of God. His hand is known to His servants. His anger is described; fury, fire, chariots, whirlwind, rebuke, flames of fire, sword; as God executes His judgment upon "all men." Indeed, many will be slain.

v17: In particular, idolaters will be judged.

v18-21: Nations brought to Jerusalem, where God's blessings fall. (The nations listed are in different directions from Judah, indicating a worldwide impact of these words.) The city will once again be the centre of God's attention in the world. Many will be gathered to seek His glory; some are sent off to declare His glory in the nations, resulting in Gentiles being brought into the city, see Rev 21.26.

A striking statement is that some from other nations will become 'priests and Levites.' Not only are Gentiles included in the blessings of God, but they become His servants, taking responsibility.

v22-24: Isaiah's final warning of judgment; the final and eternal division of mankind. God created His new heavens and new earth to be inhabited forever. Many shall worship before Him, and many shall be lost forever, enduring the eternal flame.