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 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]
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.
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