CHAPTER 66
(698 B.C.)
THE RIGHTEOUS RESPECTED; SINNERS DOOMED
1Thus says the LORD, The heaven is My throne, and the Earth is My footstool: where is the house that you build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest? (This Chapter takes up and reviews all the prior Chapters concerning this particular Prophesy. The Messiahs First Advent and the judgment which followed it are the subject of the first six Verses; His Second Advent and the judgment which will follow it occupy the rest of the Chapter.
The Chapter opens by contrasting Herods Temple with that of the Universe the one so puny and the other so vast.)
2For all those things have My Hand made, and all those things have been, says the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at My Word. (The Great Temple fashioned by Jehovahs Hand, i.e., the heavens and the Earth, is contrasted in Verse 2, and the statement is made that Gods true Temple is the heart that trembles at His Word.
The contrite man is one with a broken, crushed, contrite spirit. The only One Who actually fits this description is Christ; therefore, for the Lord to properly look at us, one must be properly in Christ [Rom. 6:3-5].)
3He who kills an ox is as if he kill a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as if he cut off a dogs neck; he who offers an oblation, as if he offered swines blood; he who burns incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations. (The Sacrifices which the Pharisees offered so zealously are declared in this Verse to be abominable to God, as if they offered up human sacrifice, or dogs, or swine, and their worship is stated to be as offensive as if addressed to an idol.
Man, tutored by Satan as a minister of righteousness, has succeeded in all times in corrupting the Divine revelation and ordinances. This is very apparent in the modern Church, so that religious services and ceremonies, which are very beautiful to mans judgment and which appeal to his religious feeling, are declared by God to be abominable. The reason?
Simply because the object of faith is something other than Christ and the Cross, which God will not tolerate [I Cor. 1:17-18, 23; 2:2].)
4I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did nor hear: but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. (Israels rejection of Christ at His First Coming is recorded in this Verse, and the persecution of His Disciples predicted in the next Verse.
The choice and delight of the Pharisees are contrasted with the choice and delight of the Messiah.)
ISRAELS FUTURE TRAVAIL
5Hear the Word of the LORD, you who tremble at His Word; Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for My Names sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. (Hear the Word of the LORD, is an admonishment to the Church to not hear the word of man. The words, You who tremble at His Word, refer to those who are of a poor and contrite spirit. The prideful never tremble at His Word, but rather substitute their own word. Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for My Names sake, refers to a formal excommunication, or at least to a renunciation of fellowship. This speaks of persecution by an apostate Church.
Let the LORD be glorified, is actually a sarcastic statement from these false brethren! This was the sarcastic challenge of the Pharisees. It means: Let Jehovah manifest His Power and favor in Your behalf. This, in effect, is what they said to Christ when he was hanging on the Cross.
But He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed, refers to the fact that God, even though He tarry long, will ultimately vindicate your trust in Him.)
6A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the Temple, a voice of the LORD Who renders recompence to his enemies. (After rebuking the hypocrisy of the wicked, God addressed the righteous, promising that they would be blessed in the end, and declared that He would recompense their enemies in due time.)
7Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. (As the Sixth Verse speaks of the Second Coming, this Verse speaks of the events immediately preceding that all-important occasion.
Verses 7 through 17 speak not only of the travail of Israel, which will take place during the Great Tribulation, but, as well, of her Redemption.
She was delivered of a man child, refers to the 144,000 Jews who will be saved during the first half of the Great Tribulation [Rev. 7:4-8].)
8Who has heard such a thing? who has 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. (It is as if the Holy Spirit, anticipating the incredulity of the Reader, asks, Who has heard such a thing?
The statement, For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children, refers to the terrible horror of the latter half of the Great Tribulation, and especially the Battle of Armageddon, when it looks like Israel will be totally annihilated. In this terrible judgment, producing great travail, Israel will be brought back to God. These birth pangs of Israel are referred to here and in the following [Dan. 12:1; Zech 12:10-13:1; Mat. 24:8, 15-22; Rev. 12:1-6, 14].)
9Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? says your God. (No matter how it looks, the Lord is emphatically stating that Israel will be brought back, irrespective as to how negative her situation may seem. To emphasize the strength of His statement, the Lord uses the analogy of a pregnant woman: Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? In other words, after the gestation period of nine months has run its course, nothing can stop the birth of the child. As well, it will not be stillborn, but a healthy, vibrant child!
[This birth that is spoken of has nothing to do with the man child of the Seventh Verse, as the two are separate incidents.])
A NEW AGE OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY
10Rejoice you with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her (the Holy Spirit through Isaiah is contemplating, especially due to the strength of His pronouncements, that the reader must believe what is said and, therefore, Rejoice you with Jerusalem, and be glad with her):
11That you may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that you may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. (The Holy Spirit now uses another strong analogy, and does so by using the mother who has now brought forth a child, by saying, That you may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations. In other words, by Israels restoration, the entirety of the world will be blessed, and abundantly!)
12For thus says the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall you suck, you shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. (The sudden and vast enlargement of the nation of Israel, with her glory, her spiritual wealth, her consolation, and her headship over the nations, and all because of Christ, are pictured in these Verses, and will accompany the Messiahs Second Advent.
You shall be borne upon her sides, refers to the fact that Jerusalem will at that time, and we speak of the Kingdom Age, be the nurturer of the world. That may seem strange, but it will all be because of Christ!)
13As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. (As one whom his mother comforts, continues the analogy used by the Holy Spirit concerning the birth [Vs. 9]. Now Israel is presented as a full-grown man. The words, So will I comfort you, refer to the Lord Himself comforting this man, i.e., Israel.)
14And when you 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 to ward His enemies. (The Passage, And your bones shall flourish like an herb, refers to the fact that in times past Israels bones had been consumed [Ps. 31:10], and waxed old [Ps. 32:3]. Now they shall enjoy a time of refreshing from the Lord. New life shall enter them, and health and growth shall follow. Ezekiel proclaimed this in his Thirty-seventh Chapter.
And the Hand of the LORD shall be known, refers to a two-pronged thrust. There will be blessing toward Israel and all who serve the Lord, and indignation toward His enemies.)
THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED
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. (These Passages are not symbolic, but literal. This is the Second Coming, which Ezekiel describes in detail [Ezek. 38:18-23].)
16For by fire and by His sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the killed of the LORD shall be many. (The entirety of the army of the Antichrist will be killed, with the exception of a one-sixth part [Ezek. 39:2]. This, of course, continues to speak of the Second Coming.)
17They who sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swines flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, says the LORD. (This Verse signifies that all idolatry in Israel will now end. That abominable day is forever over.)
MILLENNIUM: JEW AND GENTILE TOGETHER GLORIFY GOD
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. (Verses 18 through 21 portray the greatest move of Evangelism the world will have ever known! It is during this time that hundreds of million, or even billions, will accept Christ as their eternal Saviour. The Scripture says, They shall come, and they shall see. What they will see will be the Glory of God as it resides in Christ.)
19And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, who have not heard My fame, neither have seen My Glory; and they shall declare My Glory among the Gentiles. (And I will set a sign among them, actually pertains to Christ. He will be the sign!
And I will send those who escape of them unto the nations, refers to the two-thirds who will be killed during the latter half of the Great Tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon, who did not want or desire Christ. The one-third of Israel remaining [Zech. 13:8-9] will then be sent as missionaries to the nations of the world to proclaim Messiahs Glory. They will do so with such success that entire nations will be converted even in one day [Vs. 8]. Then Israel will finally fulfill her intended purpose to serve as a light to the world.)
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, sa ys the LORD, as the Children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the House of the LORD. (The implication of the Verse is this:
The Gentile world, including all nations, realizing the Glory of Christ and that the blessing resides in His People, will provide every necessary means to help Israel fulfill her obligations to the Lord.
As the Children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the House of the Lord, refers to the Gentiles strongly desiring Israel to adhere strictly to the Commandments of the Lord. The reason is explained in the following Verse.)
21And I will also take of them for Priests and Levites, says the LORD. (The reason that the Gentiles will be so eager to help Israel is because the intermediary between Christ and the Gentile world will be, at least in some small way, the Priests, who come from the Tribe of Levi. This does not mean that they will serve as mediators between Christ and man, but that the channel and flow of blessings going to the Gentile nations will pertain in some sense to the Levitical Order, which, according to Ezekiel, will be restored.
As well, it is believed by some that quite possibly proselyte Gentiles will be allowed to serve as Priests, and thereby taken into the Tribe of Levi, thereby becoming Levites.)
NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH; THE WICKED IN HELL
22For as the new heavens and the new Earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, says the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. (In other words, the order that the Lord will set up shall remain before Me. This signifies that it will never be overthrown as it was in the past in the Garden of Eden. That which He is going to do will exist and remain forever.)
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, says the LORD. (This Passage merely reflects the thought that the worship of the Lord will go on from month to month, and forever!
Shall all flesh come to worship before Me, says the LORD, refers to the entirety of the Earth. Then it will no longer be a mere Remnant, as it has been through the ages, but now all will worship before Me. This Passage guarantees the perpetuity of Gods Kingdom, with Satan locked away forever, with no possibility of rebellion ever again taking place!)
24And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men who 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 eternal doom pronounced in this Verse is confirmed by the Messiah Himself when He said, Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched [Mk. 9:48]. Isaiah commences with a gracious invitation [1:18], and closes with a solemn warning!
This Passage proclaims the fact, which Isaiah has previously mentioned, that there will be certain openings in the Earth into which men can gaze and look upon those who are in eternal Hell.
To the natural mind, this may be horrifying. Yet, this will no doubt serve as the greatest example ever of the horrors of sin, that it must never happen again!)