Isaiah 66:1-12
Isa 66:1
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and
the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto
me? and where is the place of my rest?
Heaven is the place where the throne of God is and where
he rules the entire universe and the earth is his footstool where he directs the
affairs of his creation. Solomon
knew that the LORD was so mighty and no building could contain him.
Then the LORD asks the question as to where will they build a house big
enough to contain him. Then he asks
the question concerning where is the place of his rest?
In other words, where is the place the LORD can rest or live?
Can man build such structures that can contain the God of this universe?
Of course, the answer to that is no.
The immensity of God is also taught in the New Testament lest we lose
sight of that fact. 34 But I
say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it
is the city of the great King. (Matthew 5:34-35)
Isa 66:2
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all
those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I
look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and
trembleth at my word.
The LORD had created the vastness of the universe and he
created the earth including even the smallest things on earth.
Yet, what the LORD really looks for among his creation is the person who
is of a poor and contrite spirit and who trembles at the word of God instead of
just ignoring it or setting it aside so one can do what they want.
The word “poor” carries with it the meaning of “lowly or humble” in
opposition to the proud and arrogant.
Then the word “contrite” carries with it the meaning of “remorseful or
repentant” as one who is truly sorry for their sins.
Then the word “trembleth” carries with it the meaning of “reverential or
afraid.” When God spoke at Sinai,
the people trembled and were in fear because of his voice.
The reality is that the true written word of God carries the same
authority and instead of seeking to change it and making it read like a
storybook, we need to reverence the word of God and realize it carries the same
authority as when he spoke verbally.
Many Christians, because of these counterfeit versions, have lost their
reverence or respect for the word of God.
Isa 66:3
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he
that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth
an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense,
as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their
soul delighteth in their abominations.
There were prescribed ways of offering a sacrifice and
they had to be done in the proper way and in the right spirit.
Here God likens the way Judah as making sacrifices.
If they slew an ox it was no different than if a person slew another
person, the wrong sinful attitude accompanied their sacrifices because they were
influenced by the false religions and their idols.
A dog was considered an unclean animal under the law and when they
sacrificed lambs, it was like they sacrificed an unclean dog with the wrong
spirit. Then the oblation was like
they were offering swine’s blood which was another unclean animal under the law.
Then when they burned incense, it was done in the same manner as if they
were in the groves offering it unto a false God.
The people had departed from the LORD God and went to serve the false
gods which would only be eternally destructive for their souls.
They took delight in those abominations because accompanying the false
religions were always some types of feasts or lewd behavior which their flesh
reveled in.
Isa 66:4
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their
fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did
not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I
delighted not.
Then the LORD promises that if they want to believe a lie
and these false religions, he will enhance their delusions.
This is even taught in the New Testament where there were many false
religions and false gods and the false religions continue down to this day.
And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thessalonians 2:11)
The sad state for them is that those delusions will not bring them peace
or stability in their lives but fear.
The LORD had called unto them by means of the prophets and the written
word and none responded. When he
spoke unto them, it was if they did not hear because they totally ignored him.
Their desire was to do evil and then to choose to delight in those things
which the LORD abhorred especially the false religions with their groves and
idols. Their entire existence was
comprised of doing evil before the LORD and not giving two thoughts about it.
Isa 66:5
Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word;
Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let
the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be
ashamed.
Then the LORD addresses his Elect among Judah that they
should hear the word of the LORD, those who reverence and pay attention to it.
They were outcasts among the nation of Judah and were hated by the
idolaters because they followed the LORD.
The Lord Jesus Christ taught this very thing in the New Testament also
because the world has always been against the Lord and his people.
Blessed are ye, when men shall
hate you, and when they shall separate you
from their company, and shall
reproach you, and cast out your
name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. (Luke 6:22)
The true believers were to continue to glorify God even under martyrdom
and he will bring the true joy of the LORD to them and they will be able to
endure the persecution with the joy of the LORD.
In contrast to the true believers who will experience true joy, the
unbelievers shall suffer shame because of the rejection of Christ and the truth.
Their false religions and idols will not save them and they will suffer
shame on the last day as they will come face to face with that reality.
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. (Revelation 1:7)
Isa 66:6
A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple,
a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.
The word “noise” carries with it the meaning of “uproar
or tumult.” The city is probably
the New Jerusalem where the believers in Judah are preaching the truth and that
causes an uproar among the unbelievers who are still clinging to their idols.
Then the temple would not be the temple of Solomon but would be the
temple of God in Heaven where he makes all his pronouncements from.
But the LORD
is in his holy temple: let all
the earth keep silence before him. (Habakkuk 2:20)
It is from Heaven that God will declare the recompence upon his enemies,
those that took up idolatrous religions and who forsook him.
The voice of the LORD is very powerful and can implant fear in the hearts
of all those who are under judgment.
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the
waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. 4
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full
of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the
LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. (Psalm 29:3-5)
Isa 66:7
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain
came, she was delivered of a man child.
Continuing from verse 6 concerning the city of the new
Jerusalem, the old Jerusalem was to be destroyed in 70 A.D. because of her
incessant apathy and rejection of the Messiah.
However, before that time the Messiah was to be brought forth but that
did not cause any birth pain to the nation of Judah since his birth was in
relative obscurity known only by a few.
Then before her pain was felt which was the rejection of Christ by the
majority in Israel, she brought forth the man child which was the Lord Jesus
Christ.
And she brought forth a man child, who
was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto
God, and to his throne.
(Revelation 12:5) In
conjunction with Psalm 2:8.
Ask of me, and I shall give
thee the heathen
for thine inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for
thy possession. (Psalm 2:8)
Isa 66:8
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be
born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Then the LORD asks some questions concerning what he is
about to reveal. Who had heard such
a thing as what I am about to reveal?
Who has seen the things I am about to reveal?
Shall the earth be made in one day?
The earth was created in six days.
A nation be born at once? In
other words, a nation would not be born in one day but over many years of
preparation. Rome had its very early
beginnings about 753 B.C. when Assyria was still in power but Rome did not
become a major power for at least another few hundred years yet.
When did Zion travail? It
travailed when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross but after he was
resurrected, Zion brought forth her children.
3,000 saved from 17 different nations at the first preaching of the
gospel on Pentecost. The children
were born again Christians in Christ.
Isa 66:9
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?
saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith
thy God.
Since the time of Genesis 3, the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ was prophesied and would be made manifest in the timing of the LORD.
Well the new Jerusalem was about to be sprung upon the world and not even
the evildoers in Judah could stop it.
The coming of the covenant of grace was likened to a woman who was about
to give birth and the LORD is asking should I bring to the birth but not deliver
the child? Then when the baby is
coming down the birth canal, should I shut the womb and not allow the baby to
come forth? It is the same with the
salvation message taught at Pentecost, would God do all that preparation and
then halt it? Of course not, the
nation of the body of believers began the final expansion into the world on
Pentecost.
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of
God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits
thereof. (Matthew 21:43)
Jerusalem was about to be destroyed in 70 A.D. and the responsibility of sending
forth the gospel to the world was about to be transferred to the nation of the
body of believers.
Isa 66:10
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye
that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
Then all those who lived in Jerusalem were to rejoice
with her, especially those that loved her because it was the place where the
LORD had chosen to place his name.
Then the other group who mourned for her because of all the evil that was taking
place within her walls will also be able to rejoice with joy.
It is like today, many mourn over how apostate the churches have become
yet they can rejoice over the fact that the church on earth is not the final
place but all the true believers in those churches will rejoice over the fact
that the true believers will go to glory and never be subject to those evil
influences again. In like manner
the true believers in old Jerusalem will be able to rejoice once again because
their future is set in glory even though at the present they are in a situation
living among the unbelievers whose actions brought down the judgment of God upon
them.
Isa 66:11
That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of
her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of
her glory.
Then the new Jerusalem with all of its spiritual
satisfactions will render unto the true believer as it is identified as a mother
in this verse.
But Jerusalem which is above is free,
which is the mother of us all. (Galatians 4:26)
As a baby finds nourishment at its mother’s breasts where it finds
comfort and solace, the true believer is pictured as the babe who finds
spiritual nourishment in the body of Christ who is sourced in the indwelling
Holy Spirit. The true believer will
be able to find abundant spiritual nourishment in her glory which is the imputed
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ who feeds all his lambs and sheep abundantly.
The thief cometh not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more
abundantly. (John 10:10)
Isa 66:12
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to
her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then
shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon
her knees.