Isaiah 66
66
Isaiah 66
The Worship God Demands
1 #
1 Kings 8.27; 2 Chr 6.18; Jer 7.4; Mt 5.34, 35; Acts 7.49, 50 Thus says the Lord:
Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
so what kind of house could you build for me,
what sort of place for me to rest?
2 #
v 5
; Isa 40.26; 57.15; Mt 5.3, 4All these things my hand has made,
so all these things are mine,#66.2 Gk Syr: Heb these things came to be says the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look,
to the humble and contrite in spirit
who trembles at my word.
3 #
Isa 1.11, 13; 65.2, 4 Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who kills a human,
whoever sacrifices a lamb like one who breaks a dog’s neck,
whoever presents a grain offering like one who offers pig’s blood,
whoever makes a memorial offering of frankincense like one who blesses an idol.
Just as these have chosen their own ways
and in their abominations they take delight,
4 #
Prov 1.24; Isa 65.12; Jer 7.13 so I will choose their punishments
and bring upon them what they fear,
because, when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, they did not listen,
but they did what was evil in my sight
and chose what did not please me.
The Lord Vindicates Zion
5 #
v 2
; Isa 60.15; Mt 5.10–12; Lk 13.17Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at his word:
Your own people who hate you
and reject you for my name’s sake
have said, “Let the Lord be glorified,
so that we may see your joy,”
but it is they who shall be put to shame.
6 #
Isa 6.1, 8; 65.6 Listen, a roar from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord,
dealing retribution to his enemies!
7 #
Isa 37.3
Before she was in labor
she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
she delivered a son.
8 #
Isa 64.4
Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be delivered in one moment?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor
she delivered her children.
9Shall I open the womb and not deliver?
says the Lord;
shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb?
says your God.
10 #
Ps 26.8; 137.6; Isa 65.18 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 #
Isa 60.16
that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast,
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.
12 #
Isa 48.18; 60.4, 5 For thus says the Lord:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream,
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm
and bounced on her knees.
13 #
2 Cor 1.3, 4 As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
The Reign and Indignation of God
14 #
Ezra 7.9; Isa 33.20; 34.2; 58.11; Zech 10.7 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies#66.14 Heb bones shall flourish like the grass,
and it shall be known that the power of the Lord is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.
15 #
Ps 68.17; Isa 31.9; 2 Thess 1.8 For the Lord will come in fire
and his chariots in a whirlwind,#66.15 Q ms: MT like a whirlwind
to vent his anger in fury
and his rebuke in flames of fire.
16 #
Isa 30.30; 34.3; 65.12 For by fire will the Lord execute judgment,
and by his sword on all flesh;
and those slain by the Lord shall be many.
17 #
Ps 37.20; Isa 65.3, 4 Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the center, eating the flesh of pigs, vermin, and rodents, shall come to an end together, says the Lord, 18#Isa 45.22–25; 59.7for I know#66.18 Gk Syr: Heb lacks know their works and their thoughts. I am#66.18 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb it is coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and shall see my glory, 19#Isa 42.12; 62.10and I will set a sign among them. From them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put,#66.19 Gk: Heb Pul and Lud, to Meshech,#66.19 Gk: Heb those drawing the bow Tubal, and Javan, to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20#Isa 52.11; 60.4; 65.11, 25They shall bring all your kindred 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 a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21#Isa 61.6; 1 Pet 2.5, 9And I will also take some of them as priests and as Levites, says the Lord.
22 #
Isa 56.5; 65.17, 22, 23; 2 Pet 3.13; Rev 21.1 For as the new heavens and the new earth,
which I will make,
shall remain before me, says the Lord,
so shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 #
Isa 1.13, 14; 49.7 From new moon to new moon
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the Lord.
24 #
Isa 1.31; 5.25; 24.20; Dan 12.2; Mk 9.48 And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people 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.
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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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