Isaiah 66
66
The Lord Judges Some People and Blesses Others
1The Lord says,
“Heaven is my throne.
The earth is under my control.
So how could you ever build a house for me?
Where would my resting place be?
2Didn’t I make everything by my power?
That is how all things were created,”
announces the Lord.
“The people I value are not proud.
They are sorry for the wrong things they have done.
They have great respect for what I say.
3But others are not like that.
They sacrifice bulls to me,
but at the same time they kill people.
They offer lambs to me,
but they also sacrifice dogs to other gods.
They bring grain offerings to me,
but they also offer pig’s blood to other gods.
They burn incense to me,
but they also worship statues of gods.
They have chosen to go their own way.
They take delight in things I hate.
4So I have also made a choice.
I will make them suffer greatly.
I will bring on them what they are afraid of.
When I called out to them, no one answered me.
When I spoke to them, no one listened.
They did what is evil in my sight.
They chose to do what displeases me.”
5Listen to the word of the Lord.
Listen, you who tremble with fear when he speaks. He says,
“Some of your own people hate you.
They turn their backs on you because you are faithful to me.
They make fun of you and say,
‘Let the Lord show his glory by saving you.
Then we can see how happy you are.’
But they will be put to shame.
6Hear the loud sounds coming from the city!
Listen to the noise coming from the temple!
I am the one causing it.
I am paying back my enemies for everything they have done.
7“Zion is like a woman who has a baby
before she goes into labor.
She has a son
even before her labor pains begin.
8Who has ever heard of anything like that?
Who has ever seen such a thing?
Can a country be born in a day?
Can a nation be created in a moment?
But as soon as Zion goes into labor,
there are many more of her people.
9Zion, would I bring you to the moment of birth
and not let it happen?”
says the Lord.
“Would I close up a mother’s body
when it is time for her baby to be born?”
says your God.
10“Be glad along with Jerusalem, all you who love her.
Be filled with joy because of her.
Take great delight in her,
all you who mourn over her.
11You will nurse at her comforting breasts.
And you will be satisfied.
You will drink until you are full.
And you will delight in her rich and plentiful supply.”
12The Lord continues,
“I will cause peace to flow over her like a river.
I will make the wealth of nations sweep over her like a flooding stream.
You will nurse and be carried in her arms.
You will play on her lap.
13As a mother comforts her child,
I will comfort you.
You will find comfort in Jerusalem.”
14When you see that happen, your hearts will be filled with joy.
Just as grass grows quickly, you will succeed.
The Lord will show his power to those who serve him.
But he will pour out his anger on his enemies.
15The Lord will judge them with fire.
His chariots are coming like a windstorm.
He will pour out his burning anger on his enemies.
It will blaze out like flames of fire.
16The Lord will judge with fire and with his sword.
He will judge all people.
He will put many people to death.
17“Some people set themselves apart and make themselves pure. They do it so they can go into the gardens to worship other gods. They follow what the worship leader tells them to do. They are among those who eat the meat of pigs and rats. They also eat other ‘unclean’ things. Those people and the one they follow will come to a horrible end,” announces the Lord.
18“They have planned to do many evil things. And they have carried out their plans. So I will come and gather the people of every nation and language. They will see my glory when I act.
19“I will give them a sign. I will send to the nations some of those who are left alive. I will send some of them to the people of Tarshish, Libya and Lydia, who are famous for using bows. I will send others to Tubal and Greece. And I will send still others to islands far away. The people who live there have not heard about my fame. They have not seen my glory. But when I act, those I send will tell the nations about my glory. 20And they will bring back all the people of Israel from all those nations. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem. My people will ride on horses, mules and camels. They will come in chariots and wagons,” says the Lord. “Those messengers will bring my people as an offering to me. They will bring them to my temple, just as the Israelites bring their grain offerings in bowls that are ‘clean.’ 21And I will choose some of them to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22“I will make new heavens and a new earth. And they will last forever,” announces the Lord. “In the same way, your name and your children after you will last forever. 23Everyone will come and bow down to me. They will do it at every New Moon feast and on every Sabbath day,” says the Lord. 24“When they go out of Jerusalem, they will see the dead bodies of those who refused to obey me. The worms that eat their bodies will not die. The fire that burns them will not be put out. It will make everyone sick just to look at them.”
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Isaiah 66: NIrV
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Isaiah 66
66
Heaven Is God’s Throne
1This is what the Lord says,
“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where, then, is a house that you could build for Me?
And where will My resting place be?
2For all these things My hand has made,
So all these things came into being [by and for Me],” declares the Lord.
“But to this one I will look [graciously],
To him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honors My commands.
Hypocrisy Rebuked
3“He who kills an ox [for pagan sacrifice] is [as guilty] as one who kills a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb, as one who breaks a dog’s neck;
He who offers a grain offering, as one who offers swine’s blood;
He who offers incense, as one who blesses an idol.
Such people have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their repulsive acts;
4So I will choose their punishments,
And will bring the things they dread upon them
Because I called, but no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen or obey.
But they did evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”
5Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble [with awe-filled reverence] at His word:
“Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My Name’s sake,
Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’
But they will be put to shame.
6The sound of an uproar from the city! A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord, providing retribution to His enemies.
7“Before she (Zion) was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her labor pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
8Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land #As foretold here and in Ezek 37:21, 22, Israel became a recognized nation, actually “born in one day.” After being away from their homeland for almost 2,000 years, the Jews were given a national homeland in Palestine by the Balfour Declaration in November 1917. In 1922, the League of Nations gave Great Britain the mandate over Palestine. On May 14, 1948, Great Britain withdrew her mandate, and immediately Israel was declared a sovereign state, and her growth and importance among nations was astonishing.be born in one day?
Or can a nation be brought forth in a moment?
As soon as Zion was in labor, she also brought forth her sons.
9Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.
Joy in Jerusalem’s Future
10“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her;
Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her,
11That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted with her bountiful bosom.”
12For the Lord says this, “Behold, I extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river,
And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and [playfully] rocked on her knees.
13As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14When you see this, your heart will rejoice;
Your bones will flourish like new grass.
And the [powerful] hand of the Lord will be revealed to His servants,
But His indignation will be toward His enemies.
15For indeed, the Lord will come in fire
And His chariots will be like the stormy wind,
To render His anger with rage,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16For the Lord will execute judgment by fire
And by His sword on all mankind,
And those slain by the Lord will be many.
17“Those who [vainly attempt to] sanctify and cleanse themselves to go to the gardens [to sacrifice to idols],
Following after #Perhaps referring to the image of the Syrian god Adad. Some commentators also suggest that this may refer to the cultic leader in the center who shows by his example how to conduct the ceremonies.one in the center,
Who eat swine’s flesh, #This may refer to a reptile of some kind.detestable things and mice,
Will come to an end together,” says the Lord.
18“For I know their works and their thoughts. The time is coming to gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see My glory. 19I will set up a [miraculous] sign among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations: Tarshish, Pul (Put), Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant islands and coastlands that have not heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare and proclaim My glory among the nations. 20Then they shall bring all your countrymen (children of Israel) from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels—to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22“For just as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will remain and endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
“So your offspring and your name will remain and endure.
23And it shall be that from New Moon to New Moon
And from Sabbath to Sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down and worship before Me,” says the Lord.
24“Then they will go forth and look
Upon the dead bodies of the [rebellious] men
Who have transgressed against Me;
For their worm (maggot) will not die,
And their fire will not go out;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”
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