The Last Days of Human History Will Bring Forth the Day of The Lord, The Hour of His Terrifying Judgment.

The Lord is coming in a storm of blazing fire. His chariots, His army of angels, will accompany Him with the destructive force of a violent tornado. The Lord is coming to punish the wicked with the full force of His anger and the flaming fire of His rebuke (v. 15). When He comes, it will be to execute judgment upon all the wicked of the earth. They will all suffer punishment with fire and the sword of His mouth (Vv. 16–18). Only the righteous will enter the Messiah’s kingdom. 

The Day of The Lord, His Terrifying Judgment

¹⁵ “For see, the Lord will come with fire and with swift chariots of doom to pour out the fury of his anger and his hot rebuke with flames of fire. ¹⁶ For the Lord will punish the world by fire and by his sword, and the slain of the Lord shall be many!

¹⁷ Those who worship idols that are hidden behind a tree in the garden, feasting there on pork and mouse and all forbidden meat—they will come to an evil end, says Jehovah. ¹⁸ I see full well what they are doing; I know what they are thinking, so I will gather together all nations and people against Jerusalem, where they shall see my glory” (Isaiah 66:15–18).^[1] 

When Jesus Christ returns to earth, two classes of people will face His wrath and His judgment: 

1)      All who have followed the abominable practices of idolatry and false worship will suffer the terrifying judgment of God (v. 17). These will meet a terrible end because they engaged in the detestable practices of sorcery and the occult world.

2)      All who are guilty of evil works and thoughts will also suffer the terrifying judgment of God (v. 18). These allowed their thoughts and imaginations to dwell on the immoral, the lawless, and the violent instead of focusing their minds on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Ph. 4:8). By allowing their thoughts to linger on the forbidden, they eventually began participating in immoral and wicked deeds. 

When Christ returns to earth, the sinners of this world will appear before the Lord to give an account of their behavior. Then, they will see His glory and suffer the hand of His judgment. 

V  “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Mt. 16:27).

V  “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.… Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:31–33, 41).

V  “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Ac. 17:31).

V  “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Th. 1:7–8).

V  “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (2 Ti. 4:1).

V  “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 14–15).

V  “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Re. 1:7).

V  “And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Re. 22:12).

V  “Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth” (Ps. 96:13).^[2] 

THE PURGING OF THE EARTH BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED. 

The kingdom of Christ cannot be fully set up in all its blessedness until the earth is prepared for its reception; and the main preparation required is the elimination from it of those wicked persons who, while they remain, must always constitute a disturbing element, inimical to the earth’s peace and a hindrance to the Church’s happiness. The teaching of Scripture is that, before the Church is finally established in the blissful position which it is intended to occupy, the removal of this element will have taken place. Partly by wars and tumults, by their swords being turned against each other, but still more completely by some miraculous outpouring of God’s wrath, typified under the figure of fire, the wicked will be cleared out from all parts of the earth’s surface, and only the godly will remain. St. John describes the day of vengeance with the greatest fulness in Revelation 19:11–21.”^[3] 

¹¹ “Then I saw heaven opened and a white horse standing there, and the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True—the One who justly punishes and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like flames, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on his forehead, and only he knew its meaning. ¹³ He was clothed with garments dipped in blood, and his title was “The Word of God.” ¹⁴ The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses.

¹⁵ In his mouth he held a sharp sword to strike down the nations; he ruled them with an iron grip; and he trod the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ On his robe and thigh was written this title: “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sunshine, shouting loudly to the birds, “Come! Gather together for the supper of the Great God! ¹⁸ Come and eat the flesh of kings, captains, and great generals; of horses and riders; and of all humanity, both great and small, slave and free.”

¹⁹ Then, I saw the Evil Creature gathering the governments of the earth and their armies to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. ²⁰ And the Evil Creature was captured and with him the False Prophet, who could do mighty miracles when the Evil Creature was present, miracles that deceived all who had accepted the Evil Creature’s mark, and who worshiped his statue. Both of them—the Evil Creature and his False Prophet—were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹ And their entire army was killed with the sharp sword in the mouth of the One riding the white horse, and all the birds of heaven were gorged with their flesh.”^[4] 

THE PURGING AND DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED 

I.                   THE VICTIMS OF SIN ARE THE SLAIN OF THE LORD.

The laws which work the penalty they suffer are God’s laws. It is under his administration that pain, weakness, impotence, trouble, sorrow, and death slay guilty souls. These are his sword, and they do his work, his “strange work,” but yet his. But are we to glory in the death of the wicked, of which we once were?

II.                THEIR NUMBER IS TERRIBLY LARGE.

Who shall count the number of those that have fallen or of those that are falling now? In every city, town, village, and hamlet, men are to be found who, through their folly, or their vice, or their crime, or their ungodliness, are suffering pitifully from the sword of Divine retribution. But are we not to have compassion for them while they still can be drawn from the flames of hell?

III.             WE MAY BRING THEM INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE DIVINE HEALER.

Many of the slain survive. Our mission is to bring these to that merciful and mighty One who can and will “make them whole.”—C.^[5] 

Prayer: Father God, we too were once walking with the wicked of this world and were one with them as they were, married to the lust of the flesh. But, because of your love, grace, and mercy, you called us out of darkness into your glorious light. We no longer walk in the darkness doing the deeds of darkness, hiding our sinful behaviors. We now walk in the light allowing our behaviors to be exposed by your light. In truth, Father, our past deeds done in the dark as if we were hiding them were done before. For you, Father God, see that which is done in the dark as if it were done in the light, for the night is as day to you. We cannot hide from you, Lord, and in truth, we praise you for that. For we do not want to hide from you, Father, we want to run to you and receive your compassion and mercy, for you are our merciful Father God.

Father God, we recognize that our sin separates us from you and that broken fellowship hurts us more than we could ever imagine. Therefore, Lord, we ask you to help us be the light and example of your love to this lost and dying world. This world is growing darker by the minute. We need your strength Lord to witness your love for those headed to hell and eternal damnation. We need your help to care for them and pull them from the flames of hell, from where we once were headed. Father, help us have a heart of compassion while sharing your love with others. Help us to love them as you have loved us. We thank you, Father God, for the salvation you have made possible for us through the death of your Son, our Lord, and Savior. Help us share our Lord with anyone with an ear to hear.

We praise you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen. 

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The Last Days of Human History Will Bring Forth the Day of The Lord, The Hour of His Terrifying Judgment.

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

^[3] Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. 1910. Isaiah. Vol. 2. The Pulpit Commentary. London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

^[4] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[5] Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. 1910. Isaiah. Vol. 2. The Pulpit Commentary. London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

The Restoration of The City of Jerusalem & of The Jews, 54:1–17 (vv.7-14)

In the last days of human history, both the city of Jerusalem and the Jews will be restored to their nation, Israel. The nation will be reborn quickly, suddenly—within a day—more quickly than a mother who gives birth even before her labor pains begin (Vv. 7–8). God Himself guarantees the rebirth (v. 9). And because He is the source and the giver of life, He will not fail to deliver Israel. The nation and its capital will both be restored (49:18–21; 54:1–3). 

The Restored Jerusalem

^7-8 Who has heard or seen anything as strange as this? For in one day, suddenly, a nation, Israel, shall be born, even before the birth pains come. In a moment, just as Israel’s anguish starts, the baby is born; the nation begins. ⁹ Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not deliver? asks the Lord your God. No! Never!

¹⁰ Rejoice with Jerusalem; be glad with her, all you who love her, you who mourned for her. ¹¹ Delight in Jerusalem; drink deep of her glory even as an infant at a mother’s generous breasts. ¹² Prosperity shall overflow Jerusalem like a river, says the Lord, for I will send it; the riches of the Gentiles will flow to her. Her children shall be nursed at her breasts, carried on her hips and dandled on her knees. ¹³ I will comfort you there as a little one is comforted by its mother.

¹⁴ When you see Jerusalem, your heart will rejoice; vigorous health will be yours. All the world will see the good hand of God upon his people and his wrath upon his enemies” (Isaiah 66:7–14).^[1] 

On That Day, All Jerusalem Will Be a Cause for Great Rejoicing Among God’s People (Vv. 10–14).

All who love the Lord—including the righteous believers down through the centuries who had mourned the city’s sufferings and destruction—will rejoice over Jerusalem. 

Five reasons are given for the overwhelming joy of God’s people:

1)      People will rejoice because Jerusalem will nourish, comfort, and satisfy those who love her (v. 11). When Christ returns, He will rule from Jerusalem. And all the world will receive what it needs from Him. Looking to Him who reigns in Jerusalem, believers will have every need in life met by Christ.

2)      People will rejoice because God will overflow Jerusalem with peace and prosperity (v. 12). This peace will allow all nations to become economically prosperous, with Jerusalem as the capital of the world, the seat of government where Christ rules. Jerusalem will become the financial center of the world, the center into which the wealth of all nations will flow.

3)      People will rejoice because Jerusalem’s children will be provided and cared for (v. 12b). Obviously, the children of Jerusalem will be the true believers and worshippers who enter the Messiah’s kingdom when He returns to earth. Naturally, the Lord will take care of all His people, all the citizens of His kingdom.

4)      People will rejoice because Jerusalem will comfort her children (v. 13). comfort will flow from the heart of the Lord, reaching out to all His people. Although Christ will be ruling from Jerusalem, His Spirit will move throughout the world and comfort all His people.

5)      People will rejoice over Jerusalem because the city itself will stir joy and bring vigorous heath to the population. The very lives of people—their mental and physical health—will flourish like grass, for the hand of the Lord will rest upon His people.

Jerusalem and the Jews Will Be Restored to Their Nation, Permanently Restored.

When Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth, He will set up His seat of government in Jerusalem. The Holy City will be reborn, restored as though it had been given a new birth. Old Jerusalem will become a brand-new city, completely rebuilt. And all Jews who have truly trusted the Lord will be returned to their nation, becoming citizens of God’s kingdom on earth. Listen to this wonderful promise of God given to all Jewish believers:

V  “And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city” (Is. 1:26).

V  “And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Is. 11:12).

V  “Thus, saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders” (Is. 49:22).

V  “And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath, I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee” (Is. 60:10).

V  “For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first-fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things” (Eze. 20:40).

V  “Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem” (Zec. 1:17).

V  “And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them” (Zec. 10:6).

V  “And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited” (Zec. 14:11).

V  “Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years” (Mal. 3:4).^[2]  

Shall I Bring to The Point of Birth and Then Not Deliver?

^7-8 “Who has heard or seen anything as strange as this? For in one day, suddenly, a nation, Israel, shall be born, even before the birth pains come. In a moment, just as Israel’s anguish starts, the baby is born; the nation begins. ⁹ Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not deliver? asks the Lord your God. No! Never!”^[3] 

Shall I put in all this time, effort, energy, and money and not complete my intended goal? We all have goals in mind that we set out to accomplish. But, for one reason or another, many goals do not come to fruition. However, this is not so with God. What God says, He does. We should not lose heart, though; even though we may exhaust an innumerable number of resources in the endeavor of a desire, all is not lost. The experiences and lessons learned through time, trial, and error all work together to improve upon the next step in the long line of sequential events. 

The preacher said, “For everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.  A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.  A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.  A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.  A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.  A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.  A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecc. 3:1-8 NLT, 2^nd.Ed.). The preacher could have summed up his thought by saying, “For everything, there is a reason.” 

It is interesting from the perspective of Isaiah with his statement, “For in one day, suddenly, a nation, Israel, shall be born, even before the birth pains come,” that Isaiah spoke of the end of what is yet to come. We cannot know of Isaiah’s visions as having been given the divine sight of all that was, is, and is to come concerning this nation’s birth. It suffices to say Isaiah saw enough to say the birth of the nation of Israel was to come about in a near instant.

We 21st-century citizens cannot fathom the birth of a country without all the ensuing struggles to bring about the birth of the said nation. The birth of the United States came about through many struggles, strife, pain, and death. A cursory look at the global history of the birth of nations reveals what is true of the U.S., is true for most countries, and is still valid.

When considering the image of the birth of a child that Isaiah used to describe the restoration of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, it hardly seems true that a child and the mother thereof will not experience struggles along the way to delivery, and even so for the birth of a nation. Think of the labor pains a mother experiences before delivering the newborn life. Is it not true for all mothers that pain is a part of the process? How much more accurate is it of a nation? Moreover, in the delivery of that new life, all the contemplation of joys the mother meditates upon and concerns in the caring for that new life remind one of the necessities of proper preparation. How much more does our heavenly Father prepare for our life as we enter this world and begin our journey as contributing members of our family, community, country, and the world at large?

Now, thinking again of the statement, “Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not deliver? asks the Lord your God. No! Never!” Consider the following praise from the apostle Paul speaking of our secure salvation. 

 There is, therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.  For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

 Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

 

What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?  

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  

Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.  

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.  

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  

As it is written:

“For Your sake, we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 

“Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:1-39 NKJV) 

‘Oh, the wonderful joy of birth pains!’ Even Jesus acknowledges the joy of birth through pain, “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:21 NKJV). 

^7-8 “Who has heard or seen anything as strange as this? For in one day, suddenly, a nation, Israel, shall be born, even before the birth pains come. In a moment, just as Israel’s anguish starts, the baby is born; the nation begins. ⁹ Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not deliver? asks the Lord your God. No! Never!”^[4] 

The Lord, our God, delivers; not only will He deliver on time, but the joy that follows will cause all who are the true children of God to forget all the anguish, failures, frustration, heartache, pain, suffering, and trials of life.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV). 

Father God, we praise you for your deliverance of our souls from this world of death and decay into your heavenly kingdom, our new home of new life. We are looking forward to that day of your return to set this world and life right. We look forward to helping you carry out your will through our reaching out to the lost in this world, providing them with the opportunity to receive you. We praise you, Father God, for allowing us to come alongside you and work with you in the salvation of your children, our brothers, and sisters. Redeeming your children as you have redeemed us through the preaching and teaching of your Word is a privilege and honor, and we want to obey your will as we serve others carrying out this. Thank you, Father, for all you are doing. May we remain faithful to your call upon our lives.

In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

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The Restoration of The City of Jerusalem & of The Jews, 54:1–17 (vv.7-14)

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

^[3] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[4] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

The Last Days of Human History (Part 2), Isaiah 66:1–24

Introduction: this chapter is the climax of the great book of Isaiah. Through the power of God’s Spirit, Isaiah has been able to look through the portal of time to see the events of the future. As has been seen, the behaviour of the human race repeats itself generation after generation. For this reason, the discipline of God and His hand of judgment have repeatedly fallen on the wicked people and nations of this earth. God is very patient, suffering a long time with the sinful person. But eventually, the day comes when His hand of discipline and judgment must fall. However, as Isaiah looked into the corridor of the future, he saw not only the judgments of God but also saw the salvation of God, even the sufferings of the Messiah Himself. As he now closes the great prophecies given him by the Lord, he is able to see the glorious consummation of human history. He actually sees the events of the end time, the last days of the human race on earth. 

This is the exciting subject that closes the great book of Isaiah, The Last Days of Human History (Part 2), 66:1–24. 

1.      The True Temple of God (Vv. 1–6).

2.      The Restored Jerusalem: The Restoration of The City and of the Jews, 54:1–17 (Vv. 7–14).

3.      The Day of The Lord, His Terrifying Judgment (Vv. 15–18).

4.      The Proclamation of God’s Glory Worldwide (Vv. 19–21).

5.      The Gift of Eternal Life in The New Heavens and Earth (Vv. 22–23).

6.      The Sad Fate of The Unrepentant (V. 24).^[1] 

The Last Days of Human History (Part 2), Isaiah 66:1–24 

The True Temple of God

¹ Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: What Temple can you build for me as good as that? ² My hand has made both earth and skies, and they are mine. Yet I will look with pity on the man who has a humble and a contrite heart, who trembles at my word.

³ But those who choose their own ways, delighting in their sins, are cursed. God will not accept their offerings. When such men sacrifice an ox on the altar of God, it is no more acceptable to him than human sacrifice. If they sacrifice a lamb or bring an offering of grain, it is as loathsome to God as putting a dog or the blood of a swine on his altar! When they burn incense to him, he counts it the same as though they blessed an idol. ⁴ I will send great troubles upon them—all the things they feared, for when I called them, they refused to answer, and when I spoke to them, they would not hear. Instead, they did wrong before my eyes and chose what they knew I despised.

⁵ Hear the words of God, all you who fear him, and tremble at his words: Your brethren hate you and cast you out for being loyal to my name. “Glory to God,” they scoff. “Be happy in the Lord!” But they shall be put to shame.

⁶ What is all the commotion in the city? What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the Lord taking vengeance upon his enemies. 

The Restored Jerusalem: The Restoration of The City & of the Jews, 54:1–17

^7-8 Who has heard or seen anything as strange as this? For in one day, suddenly, a nation, Israel, shall be born, even before the birth pains come. In a moment, just as Israel’s anguish starts, the baby is born; the nation begins. ⁹ Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not deliver? asks the Lord your God. No! Never!

¹⁰ Rejoice with Jerusalem; be glad with her, all you who love her, you who mourned for her. ¹¹ Delight in Jerusalem; drink deep of her glory even as an infant at a mother’s generous breasts. ¹² Prosperity shall overflow Jerusalem like a river, says the Lord, for I will send it; the riches of the Gentiles will flow to her. Her children shall be nursed at her breasts, carried on her hips and dandled on her knees. ¹³ I will comfort you there as a little one is comforted by its mother.

¹⁴ When you see Jerusalem, your heart will rejoice; vigorous health will be yours. All the world will see the good hand of God upon his people and his wrath upon his enemies. 

The Day of The Lord, His Terrifying Judgment

¹⁵ For see, the Lord will come with fire and with swift chariots of doom to pour out the fury of his anger and his hot rebuke with flames of fire. ¹⁶ For the Lord will punish the world by fire and by his sword, and the slain of the Lord shall be many!

¹⁷ Those who worship idols that are hidden behind a tree in the garden, feasting there on pork and mouse and all forbidden meat—they will come to an evil end, says Jehovah. ¹⁸ I see full well what they are doing; I know what they are thinking, so I will gather together all nations and people against Jerusalem, where they shall see my glory. 

The Proclamation of God’s Glory Worldwide

¹⁹ I will perform a mighty miracle against them, and I will send those who escape, ^a as missionaries to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal, Javan, and to the lands beyond the sea that have not heard my fame nor seen my glory. There they shall declare my glory to the Gentiles. ²⁰ And they shall bring back all your brethren from every nation as a gift to the Lord, transporting them gently ^b on horses and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules and camels, to my holy mountain, to Jerusalem, says the Lord. It will be like offerings flowing into the Temple of the Lord at harvesttime, carried in vessels consecrated to the Lord. ²¹ And I will appoint some of those returning to be my priests and Levites, says the Lord. 

The Gift of Eternal Life in The New Heavens & Earth

²² As surely as my new heavens and earth shall remain, so surely shall you always be my people, with a name that shall never disappear. ²³ All mankind shall come to worship me from week to week and month to month. 

The Sad Fate of The Unrepentant

²⁴ And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me, for their worm shall never die; their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be a disgusting sight to all mankind” (Isaiah 66:1–24).^[2] 

In The Last Days of Human History, The True Temple of God Will Take Center Stage. These Six Verses Show That Very Significant Issues Are Involved When People Worship the Lord. 

The True Temple of God

¹ Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: What Temple can you build for me as good as that? ² My hand has made both earth and skies, and they are mine. Yet I will look with pity on the man who has a humble and a contrite heart, who trembles at my word.

³ But those who choose their own ways, delighting in their sins, are cursed. God will not accept their offerings. When such men sacrifice an ox on the altar of God, it is no more acceptable to him than human sacrifice. If they sacrifice a lamb or bring an offering of grain, it is as loathsome to God as putting a dog or the blood of a swine on his altar! When they burn incense to him, he counts it the same as though they blessed an idol. ⁴ I will send great troubles upon them—all the things they feared, for when I called them, they refused to answer, and when I spoke to them, they would not hear. Instead, they did wrong before my eyes and chose what they knew I despised.

⁵ Hear the words of God, all you who fear him, and tremble at his words: Your brethren hate you and cast you out for being loyal to my name. “Glory to God,” they scoff. “Be happy in the Lord!” But they shall be put to shame.

⁶ What is all the commotion in the city? What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the Lord taking vengeance upon his enemies” (Isaiah 66:1–6).^[3] 

A.    The True Temple of God Is Identified (Vv. 1–2).

Contrary to what many people think, God does not dwell in buildings. God is Spirit, and He is omnipresent. Omnipresent means that His presence is everywhere, even expanding out beyond the far reaches of the universe. Although the starry sky demonstrates the glory of God, it is nothing more than a throne for God. And the earth in all of its beauty and glory is nothing more than a footstool for Him. God dwells in another dimension of being, the spiritual dimension, which is the permanent world. The physical, material world in which we live is corruptible, deteriorating, and wasting away. But the spiritual dimension of being is permanent and eternal. God lives in the spiritual dimension or spiritual world. That world supersedes this world enormously. The vast expanse of God’s person and presence is infinite—far, far beyond human comprehension.

Note how the Lord stresses this fact: Is it not His hand that has created the universe, brought all things into being? The point is that God supersedes, and is out beyond this physical, material universe. Even the universe itself cannot contain God’s presence. 

How then can people expect the temple or any other building to be a house for His presence?

Down through the centuries of human history, the Lord did manifest His presence at various worship sites, such as the altars built by the patriarchs, the Tabernacle, the Temple built by Solomon, and succeeding temples built by others. The Lord had said that the Temple would be the place where His Name would dwell (1 K. 8:29). And the Lord had appointed Solomon to build a House for His Name (2 S. 7:13; 1 K. 5:5; 8:18–19; 1 Chr. 22:10). Within these and all other worship centers that are truly set apart for the worship of the Lord, God does manifest His presence through people’s praise and worship. He does not ignore the Temple or any other worship center that is truly sanctified, set apart to His Name.

However, the Temple is not the focus of God’s attention. Just because a temple has been constructed does not mean that God will manifest His presence in the building. He will grant a special sense of His presence only if the hearts of the worshippers belong to Him. It is not the building that pleases God. It is the heart of the worshipper. 

This is exactly what God says.

God dwells with the person who is submissive and who trembles at His Word (v. 2). A submissive person is humbled and contrite before the Lord, which means that the person bows before the Lord, acknowledging the greatness of God as well as his own unworthiness and sin. Bowing before the Lord, the individual confesses and repents of his sins. After arising from his knees, the true worshipper goes about his daily affairs trembling at God’s Word. This means that the person respects God’s Word so much that he continually seeks to obey it. He shudders, quakes, and even fears lest he disobeys God’s commandments. This is the worshipper God accepts. When this worshipper and others of like mind enter the temple, God manifests His presence among them. He grants a very special sense of His presence to such worshippers. In the last days of human history, the body of the true worshipper actually becomes the true temple of God. Amazingly, God’s very own Spirit dwells within the true believer. The true temple of God is the believer who is submissive to God and who trembles at God’s Word. 

V  “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Co. 3:16).

V  “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Co. 6:19–20).

V  “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (He. 8:10).

V  “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Je. 31:33).

V  “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Je. 32:40). 

B.     Some Worshippers Are Rejected by God (Vv. 3–6).

Who? Any person who goes through the motions of worship but is not submissive to the Lord. Those who live as they wish instead of obeying God’s Word will be rejected by God. If a person ignores or disobeys God’s commandments, his worship is unacceptable (v. 3). No matter how often he enters a temple (church) or approaches God in personal daily worship, his worship is unacceptable to God (v. 3). In fact, what God says is shocking and unsettling. The worship of a person who approaches the Lord with an impure, disobedient heart …

·         is as unacceptable as the worship of a murderer

·         is as unacceptable as the worship of a person who offers a dog or pig to God

·         is as unacceptable as the worship of a person who idolizes false gods 

These comparisons are graphic, but they emphasize strikingly the importance of true worship. A person must approach God with a humble, contrite spirit, trembling at His Word. Only the worshipper who is obedient, keeping God’s commandments and living a righteous life is acceptable to God. The worship of a person who fails to be submissive to God, who fails to tremble at His Word is an abomination to God. It is utterly detestable.

Thus, a harsh judgment is pronounced against those whose worship is rejected or unacceptable (Vv. 4–5). Three reasons are given for the severity of the judgment:

Ø  They did not respond to God’s call for repentance.

Ø  They deliberately engaged in false worship, committing evil before God’s very eyes, even while God was calling upon them to repent.

Ø  They persecuted true worshippers, those who did tremble at God’s Word (v. 5). 

As a result of the false worshippers’ terrible sin, the hand of God’s judgment will fall upon them (vv. 5–6). They will be utterly shamed, suffering God’s vengeance. Suddenly and without warning an uproar will arise from the city of Jerusalem and from the temple itself. All the commotion and turmoil will come from the sound of the battle when God destroys His enemies, the false worshippers. 

Note how this prophecy is applicable to every generation. It was certainly fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians (586 B.C.) and to the Romans (A.D. 70). But it will also be fulfilled when the Lord returns at His second coming. On that day, all the false worshippers and wicked of this earth will suffer the hand of God’s judgment. 

V  “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Th. 1:7–8)

V  “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” (Mt. 23:34–35).

V  “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Ro. 1:18–25).

V  “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Co. 6:9–10).

V  “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (Ep. 5:3–6).

V  “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people” (He. 10:30).

V  “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Ex. 20:3–5).

V  “Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom” (Is. 65:6–7).

V  “For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head” (Ob. 15).

Matthew Henry Gives an Excellent Discussion on The True Temple of God (Vv. 1–2) That Is Well Worth Quoting in Its Entirety: 

The temple is slighted in comparison with a gracious soul, v. 1, 2. The Jews in the prophet’s time, and afterwards in Christ’s time, gloried much in the temple and promised themselves great things from it. To humble them, therefore, and to shake their vain confidence, both the prophets and Christ foretold the ruin of the temple, that God would leave it and then it would soon be desolate. After it was destroyed by the [Babylonians] it soon recovered itself and the ceremonial services were revived with it. But by the Romans, it was made a perpetual desolation, and the ceremonial law was abolished with it. That the world might be prepared for this, they were often told, as here, of what little account the temple was with God.

1.      That he did not need it. Heaven is the throne of his glory and government; there he sits, infinitely exalted in the highest dignity and dominion, above all blessing and praise. The earth is his footstool, on which he stands, overruling all the affairs of it according to his will. If God has so bright a throne, so large a footstool, where then is the house they can build unto God, that can be the residence of his glory, or where is the place of his rest? What satisfaction can the Eternal Mind take in a house made with men’s hands? What occasion has he, as we have, for a house to repose himself in, who faints not neither is weary, who neither slumbers nor sleeps? Or, if he had occasion, he would not tell us (Ps. 1, 12), for all these things hath his hand made, heaven and all its courts, earth and all its borders, and all the hosts of both. All these things have been, have had their beginning, by the power of God, who was happy from eternity before they were, and therefore could not be benefited by them. All these things are (so some read it); they still continue, upheld by the same power that made them; so that our goodness extends not to him. If he required a house for himself to dwell in, he would have made one himself when he made the world; and, if he had made one, it would have continued to this day … [but] he had no need of a temple made with hands.

2.      That he would not heed it as he would a humble, penitent, gracious heart. He has a heaven and earth of his own making, and a temple of man’s making. But he overlooks them all, that he may look with favour to him that is poor in spirit, humble and serious, self-abasing and self-denying, whose heart is truly contrite for sin, penitent for it, and in pain to get it pardoned, and who trembles at God’s word, not as Felix did, with a transient qualm that was over when the sermon was done, but with an habitual awe of God’s majesty and purity and an habitual dread of his justice and wrath. Such a heart is a living temple for God; he dwells there, and it is the place of his rest; it is like heaven and earth, his throne and his footstool.^1[4] 

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The Last Days of Human History (Part 2), Isaiah 66:1–24

^[1] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

^a 66:19  I will send those who escape. It is not clear from the Hebrew whether “those who escape” means survivors of the armies of the nations, or survivors of the Jews in Israel. The context seems to favor the former. Put and Lud were in North Africa; Meshech, Rosh, and Tubal were in Asia Minor and Armenia.

^b 66:20  transporting them gently, implied.

^[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[3] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

¹ Matthew Henry. Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Vol.4, pp. 388–389.

^[4] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.