66. Isaiah Chapter Sixty-Six
Isaiah Chapter 66 The opening part of this chapter is a continuation of the glorious vision of the future just given, but the great point of connection with the preceding chapter is the contrast between the true and faithful servant of God and the apostate and worldly character of most of the nation. It is to the latter and their ideas of establishing a temple in Jerusalem that the Lord protests that, as the Creator of heaven and earth, He does not stand in need of a house erected by man. What He looks for primarily is the spirit of contrition and godly fear: “to this man will I look, even to Him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word” (Isaiah 66:1-2). From those who are not so characterized He looks for no efforts at temple building and for no animal sacrifices. With scathing denunciation the Lord makes a comparison between the offering of hypocritical worshipers and gross iniquities; “He that killeth an ox [i.e., in sacrifice] is as he that slayeth a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as he that breaketh a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation [or a meal offering], as he that offereth swine’s blood; he that burneth frankincense as he that blesseth an idol” (Isaiah 66:3).
They had chosen to follow the ways of the heathen in their abominations. To this the Lord replies that He has a choice to make, and will choose their mocking devices (a.v., and r.v., “delusions,” but see the margins) and will bring their terrors upon them, because they made no answer when God called and refused to hear His Word (Isaiah 66:4). At Isaiah 66:5 the Lord turns to the minority, consisting of those who with reverence and awe tremble at His Word. He promises them that He will deal with their brethren who have hated them and persecuted them, thus enhancing the grievous character of their sin, and who with scornful unbelief dared to take the Lord’s Name in vain, saying “Let Jehovah be glorified [or rather “Let Jehovah glorify Himself”], that we may see your joy” (the r.v. rightly so connects the clauses). These apostates regarded any hope in God as mere deception, but the Lord determined that they should “be ashamed.” Whereas the city and the Temple were lying in ruins, the time will come when there will be a voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the Temple, and that a voice of the Lord rendering “recompense to His enemies” (Isaiah 66:6), not only those of the Jewish people but the Gentile nations, who will hereafter be gathered together “against the Lord, and against His anointed” (Psalms 22:1-31, and for the voice see Psalms 22:5; cp. Joel 2:11; Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2; Isaiah 63:1 and 2 Thessalonians 2:8). In view of this mention is made in Isaiah 66:7 of the future time of Jacob’s trouble and the fact of the Incarnation of Christ: “Before she travailed [before the great tribulation which the nation is yet to experience at the hands of the Antichrist] she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.” This experience of the nation is contrary to conditions of natural birth. The order is reversed, and this draws forth the surprised questions, “Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things?” There is evidently a connection with Revelation 12:1-6. The nation is spoken of as having brought forth a “man child.” Some regard this as the godly remnant among the Jews in the coming day. Surely the reference is to the Lord Jesus. The Roman power, energized by Satan, fulfilled what is said in Revelation 12:4, and “stood before the woman which was about to be delivered, that when she was delivered he might devour her child.” Herod would have accomplished this had he been able to, but the Man Child was to be “caught up to God and His Throne.” This could scarcely be said of the remnant, who are to enjoy the Millennial reign. The birth, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ have already taken place. The great tribulation is yet future. This explains the inversion of the natural order of the circumstances of birth as mentioned in this Isaiah passage. The next questions, in Isaiah 66:8, point to the effect and issue of the travail of the nation. These two questions demand a positive answer, whereas the two preceding ones were asked so as to produce negative answers. Now it is asked “shall a land be born in one day?” Then follows the question, “shall a nation be brought forth at once?” The positive assurance is immediately given, “for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” First the birth pangs and then the birth, and thus different from the preceding circumstances!
Accordingly the immediate outcome of the great tribulation will be the issue of God’s earthly people as a nation in peace and joy and righteousness under the mighty hand of its Messiah Deliverer. The nation thus delivered is not the same as the Man Child in Isaiah 66:7. In view of the certainty that His people will be delivered from their time of unprecedented trouble, and that speedily (Isaiah 66:9), the Lord calls upon all who delight in Him and His purposes, all those who love His earthly people, to rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her. Those who mourn over her woeful condition are invited to rejoice for joy with her (Isaiah 66:10). Those who on earth will thus feel for her in the coming time will themselves derive benefit when she is established in the earth. In Isaiah 66:11 Jerusalem is looked upon as a mother, ministering of her personal nourishment to her children with an overflow for others. The Lord declares that He “will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream.” Israel will receive the riches of the Gentiles, who will care for the nation with the utmost devotedness and attention (cp. Isaiah 49:23 and Isaiah 60:4). That is what is indicated in the promise, “ye shall be borne upon the side, and shall be dandled upon the knees” (Isaiah 66:12). In Isaiah 66:13 the Lord declares how He Himself will care for His people: “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” Their heart will rejoice and their bones will flourish like the tender grass, a vivid description of the flourishing condition of Israel when the Lord reigns over the earth (Isaiah 66:14).
How all this blessing will be brought about is described in Isaiah 66:15-16 by a renewal of the prophecies of the overthrow of their foes. In His indignation against His enemies “the Lord will come with fire, and His chariots shall be like the whirlwind; to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord plead, and by His sword, with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.” In Isaiah 66:17 the Lord deals with those among His people who will have corrupted themselves and become like the heathen. They are to be brought to an end. They will share the doom of the adherents of the Antichrist.
Now by way of contrast the prophecy turns again to the future of Israel and to the favorable dealings of the Gentile nations with them in the Millennium. The statement that the Lord knows their works and their thoughts, forms a transition from the apostates in Isaiah 66:17 to the redeemed nation and the way the Gentile peoples will assist them.
All nations and tongues are to be gathered to Palestine, and there they are to see the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 66:18). To this end the Lord will set a sign among the Gentiles (Isaiah 66:19), and this for the recovery of His people in far distant places. What the actual sign will be is not disclosed. From Exodus 10:2 and Psalms 78:43 and Psalms 105:27, where the r.v. renders by this very phrase, and where the reference is to the miracles wrought by God in delivering His people from Egypt, we may gather that there will be some form of supernatural intervention in the world’s affairs. Moreover, God makes clear here that He will send out the Jews as His messengers to nations in all parts of the world, to Tarshish in the west, to Pul and Lud in the south, to Tubal and Javan in the north, and to far-off coastlands such as those in Asia and other continents, to peoples who have not heard His fame or seen His glory, that they may make known His glory in all the earth (Isaiah 66:19). The Gentile peoples will bring the Jews “out of all the nations for an offering unto the Lord.” They will be brought to His holy mountain Jerusalem, just as the children of Israel were accustomed to bring their offerings in clean vessels into the Lord’s house. A considerable variety of means of conveyance will be used, and it is quite possible that motor cars, etc., are referred to in the mention of chariots and litters. Further, what was said in chapter Isaiah 60:8, in a passage similar to this, about those who will “fly as a cloud and as doves to their windows,” is indicative of air travel. The mention of the clean vessel shows that all the Israelites who are brought into Millennial glory will have been purged from their old sins and brought to walk in the ways of the Lord, and accordingly He will take of them for “priests and for Levites” (Isaiah 66:21).
Isaiah’s prophecies end with a striking contrast. First there comes the pledge that “as the new heavens and the new earth which God will create will remain before Him, so the seed of Israel and their name will remain” (see Isaiah 65:17). For Christ, who is of Israel as concerning the flesh, and who is “over all, God blessed forever” (Romans 9:5), will be identified with His earthly people. Owing to His presence in their midst all flesh will come to worship before Him at every new moon and at every sabbath. There will in that day be every facility for speedy and frequent journeys from all parts of the world. The nations will thus have a vivid reminder of the grievous nature and consequences of rebellion against God. For as they assemble in the land on the stated occasions, they will “go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men who have transgressed against Him,” and the Lord declares that “their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” The region would seem to be the valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem.
Yet in spite of this, such will be the spirit of dissatisfaction with the righteous and firm reign of the Lord, that the nations will break out in rebellion at the end of the thousand years, when, under the permissive will of God, Satan will be loosed from his prison to deceive them (Revelation 20:7-8). No merely natural conditions, however peaceful and blessed, can ever regenerate the human heart. This, with its consequent loyalty to Christ, must ever have as its foundation the efficacy of His atoning blood.