Isaiah 66
66
True and False Worship
1#The Lord rejects the abuses associated with Temple worship in order to emphasize his concern for the sincere worshiper. Thus says the Lord:
The heavens are my throne,
the earth, my footstool.
What house can you build for me?
Where is the place of my rest?#2 Sm 7:4–7; 1 Kgs 8:27; Acts 7:49; 17:24.
2My hand made all these things
when all of them came to be—oracle of the Lord.
This is the one whom I approve:
the afflicted one, crushed in spirit,
who trembles at my word.#Ps 24:1–2.
3#The sacrificial abuses listed will only merit punishment. The true worshipers, the downtrodden, are those who “tremble” (vv. 2, 5) at God’s word. Although they are ridiculed by those who reject them (v. 5), the latter will be afflicted with divine punishment; their “choice” will be met by the Lord’s choice (v. 4). The one slaughtering an ox, striking a man,
sacrificing a lamb, breaking a dog’s neck,
Making an offering of pig’s blood,
burning incense, honoring an idol—
These have chosen their own ways,
and taken pleasure in their own abominations.#Lv 11:7.
4I in turn will choose affliction for them
and bring upon them what they fear.
Because when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
Because they did what was evil in my sight,
and things I do not delight in they chose,#Is 65:12; Prv 1:24; Jer 7:13.
5Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at his word!
Your kin who hate you
and cast you out because of my name say,
“May the Lord show his glory,
that we may see your joy”;
but they shall be put to shame.
6A voice roaring from the city,
a voice from the temple;
The voice of the Lord
rendering recompense to his enemies!#Jl 4:16; Am 1:2.
Blessings of Prosperity and Consolation
7#The renewal of Zion is pictured in terms of a miraculous, instantaneous birth, facilitated by God’s intervention. Before she is in labor,
she gives birth;#Is 49:18–21; 54:1.
Before her pangs come upon her,
she delivers a male child.
8Who ever heard of such a thing,
or who ever saw the like?
Can a land be brought forth in one day,
or a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet Zion was scarcely in labor
when she bore her children.
9Shall I bring a mother to the point of birth,
and yet not let her child be born? says the Lord.
Or shall I who bring to birth
yet close her womb? says your God.
10#The poet addresses the children born of Jerusalem, their mother. In v. 13 the metaphor switches to the Lord as mother (cf. 49:15), comforting her charges but destroying the enemies. Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
Rejoice with her in her joy,
all you who mourn over her—#Tb 13:14.
11So that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;
That you may drink with delight
at her abundant breasts!
12For thus says the Lord:
I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
like an overflowing torrent,
the wealth of nations.
You shall nurse, carried in her arms,
cradled upon her knees;
13As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.#Is 40:1; 49:13.
14You will see and your heart shall exult,
and your bodies shall flourish like the grass;
The Lord’s power shall be revealed to his servants,
but to his enemies, his wrath.
15For see, the Lord will come in fire,
his chariots like the stormwind;
To wreak his anger in burning rage
and his rebuke in fiery flames.
16For with fire the Lord shall enter into judgment,
and, with his sword, against all flesh;
Those slain by the Lord shall be many.#Lv 11:29.
17#This verse seems to have some connection with 65:2–3. Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who stands within, eating pig’s flesh, abominable things, and mice, shall all together come to an end, with their deeds and purposes—oracle of the Lord.
God Gathers the Nations. 18#God summons the neighboring nations to Zion and from among them will send some to far distant lands to proclaim the divine glory. All your kin: Jews in exile. The “gathering of the people and the nations” is an eschatological motif common in the prophetic tradition; cf. 56:8. I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; they shall come and see my glory.#Is 56:1, 8; 59:20. 19I will place a sign among them; from them I will send survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands which have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. 20They shall bring all your kin from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord.
22Just as the new heavens and the new earth
which I am making
Shall endure before me—oracle of the Lord—
so shall your descendants and your name endure.#Is 65:17; Rev 21:1.
23From new moon to new moon,
and from sabbath to sabbath,
All flesh shall come to worship
before me, says the Lord.#Is 1:13.
24#God’s enemies lie dead outside the walls of the New Jerusalem; just as in the past, corpses, filth and refuse lay in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) outside the city; cf. 34:1–4; 2 Kgs 23:10. They shall go out and see the corpses#Is 1:27–28; Mk 9:45.
of the people who rebelled against me;
For their worm shall not die,
their fire shall not be extinguished;
and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.
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Isaiah 66: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 66
66
Heaven Is My Throne
1This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is My throne,
and earth is My footstool.
What kind of house will you build for Me?
Or where will My place of repose be?
2Has not My hand made all these things?#66:2 Cited in Acts 7:49–50
And so they came into being,”
declares the Lord.
“This is the one I will esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
who trembles at My word.
3Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man;
whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood;
whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol.
Indeed, they have chosen their own ways
and delighted in their abominations.
4So I will choose their punishment
and I will bring terror upon them,
because I called and no one answered,
I spoke and no one listened.
But they did evil in My sight
and chose that in which I did not delight.”
5You who tremble at His word,
hear the word of the Lord:
“Your brothers who hate you
and exclude you because of My name
have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified
that we may see your joy!’
But they will be put to shame.”
6Hear the uproar from the city;
listen to the voice from the temple!
It is the voice of the Lord,
repaying His enemies what they deserve!
Rejoice with Jerusalem
7“Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
8Who has heard of such as this?
Who has seen such things?
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be delivered in an instant?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,
she gave birth to her children.
9Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?”
says the Lord.
“Or will I who deliver close the womb?”
says your God.
10Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,
all who love her.
Rejoice greatly with her,
all who mourn over her,
11so that you may nurse and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;
you may drink deeply and delight yourselves
in her glorious abundance.
12For this is what the Lord says:
“I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flowing stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm,
and bounced upon her knees.
13As a mother comforts her son,
so will I comfort you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
14When you see, you will rejoice,
and you will flourish like grass;
then the hand of the Lord will be revealed to His servants,
but His wrath will be shown to His enemies.
Final Judgments against the Wicked
15For behold, the Lord will come with fire—
His chariots are like a whirlwind—
to execute His anger with fury
and His rebuke with flames of fire.
16For by fire and by His sword,
the Lord will execute judgment on all flesh,
and many will be slain by the Lord.
17“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the Lord.
18“And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming #66:18 Literally And I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory.
19I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands #66:19 Or coastlands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory.
So they will proclaim My glory among the nations. 20And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.”
21“And I will select some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22“For just as the new heavens and the new earth,#66:22 LXX the new heaven and the new earth; see also Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 21:1.
which I will make, will endure before Me,”
declares the Lord,
“so your descendants and your name will endure.
23From one New Moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another,
all mankind will come to worship before Me,”
says the Lord.
24“As they go forth, they will see the corpses
of the men who have rebelled against Me;
for their worm will never die,
their fire will never be quenched,#66:24 Cited in Mark 9:48
and they will be a horror
to all mankind.”
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.