God of Grace and Glory

Isaiah 66:1-24 (esp. Isa. 66:7-24)

Introduction

We have now finished 3 books of the Bible together

John, Haggai & Isaiah

I don’t expect that you remember all that we’ve studied

It’s been heavy & a lot of material

Power of sermon is mostly in the moment

When we use the moment right it makes lasting change

It also gives us something the Spirit can use, build on, later

Let’s remember where we started because we see the themes developed throughout

Our first sermon revealed 3 things about God:

He is our Judge

He is our Saviour

He is our Hope

We also took note how the structure of this message shows us the Gospel

Isa. 1-39 - mirror the OT: our inability, inability of the law, our need for salvation from judgment

Isa. 40-66 - mirrors the NT: Opens with comfort, speaks of grace, salvation, eternal hope

As we come to the end we see God in the same way

We’re finishing with 3 themes that have been a major part of Isaiah’s message

God’s Word is Your Anchor - Last Week

Offensiveness of empty worship

Freedom of true worship of God

Heart that produces true worship is one grounded in God’s Word that is poor & contrite

Jesus is Your Saviour

God’s Glory is Your Reward

READ Isaiah 66:1-24

Interesting fact: In Synagogues Jews will often return to Isaiah 66:23 after Isaiah 66:24 so that it ends on a positive note

I don’t think it has to end with a positive verse for us to gain hope of it’s message

God’s Word is Your Anchor and...

Jesus is Your Saviour

Isaiah 66:7-17

Jesus Came to Save

Isaiah 66:7-9

God Will Save

It wouldn’t be Isaiah if it ended with a passage that didn’t have some difficulty in understanding

I hope 1 thing we could learn from our study is not to be afraid of difficult passages

Even if we don’t fully understand them now, we’re not afraid to do the work to learn

Isaiah gives us a vivid, strange, picture to describe God’s full work of salvation

Clear the woman is Israel

Describes events still future then & some still future now

Who, or what, is described by the male child?

Revelation 12 describes a vision John sees of a woman giving birth

Again, clear the woman is Israel

Woman is attacked by a dragon - Satan (Rev. 12:9)

Dragon seeks to kill the child

Who is this child?

Revelation 12:5 NKJV

5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

I think the similarities between Isaiah & John’s writing indicate this male child is Jesus

Targum Jonathan [Aramaic translation & comments on OT] (~1-6 BC)

Before distress cometh upon her, she shall be redeemed; and before trembling cometh upon her, like the pains upon a woman in child-bearing, her King shall be revealed.

https://www.sefaria.org/Targum_Jonathan_on_Isaiah.66.7?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en (accessed 18/08/2026)

Isaiah’s grand theme has been Yahweh (God) Saves

He’s promised the Saviour

Described the character & work of the Saviour

As this message ends another promise of the Saviour is made

This is the promise of the first coming

Isaiah 7:14 “14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53

Rev. 12:4 tells us the Dragon waited for His birth, to devour Him

Matthew 2:13 “13 Now when they [wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.””

Dragon (Satan) thought he had victory by having Jesus crucified (1 Cor. 2:7-8)

Crucified Saviour proclaimed victory to His enemies (1 Pet. 2:19)

Hebrews 2:14–15 “14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

Perhaps I got carried away here but this is no ordinary male child

God is promising the coming of Jesus, Son of God, King of kings

God Will Keep His Promises

No wonder that Isaiah 66:2 begins as it does

Nothing like this has ever happened before!

That is to emphasise this is a work of God

Something that only God can do

Description of this event further emphasises this

‘Before she was in labour’; ‘Before her pain came’

Speaks of the swiftness & unexpectedness of this

It’s a work even bigger than a single birth

Nations, peoples are born swiftly, unexpectedly

Is Isaiah speaking of a specific event or moment in history?

Hard to say definitively

Some say this is prophetic of modern Israel becoming a nation

May 14, 1948 - possibly

Others have seen revolt led by Maccabees

Could be sudden release of Israel from captivity, sudden birth of Church at Pentecost, sudden return of Christ to establish Kingdom

It could be a description of God’s bigger work through all of these things

All appear to give birth to peoples & nations of God

No matter what specific event or events it may refer to, the purpose is clear

God will keep all of His promises of salvation/deliverance to all of His people

Isaiah 66:9 - If I start something I will finish it

If He gives life, He will deliver

This is God’s promise of salvation

Philippians 1:6 “6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

Clearly, this tells us about God keeping His promise to Israel & to His people

There is more

The curse of sin brought pain in childbirth (Gen. 3:16)

Here is birth without pain

The Saviour will remove the curse as He promised

Jesus is Coming to Save

Isaiah 66:10-17

He Brings Comfort and Joy

God’s salvation, His faithfulness is cause for our joy

To rejoice with Jerusalem in God’s faithfulness

To rejoice in God’s love for His people

This section of Isaiah began with a promise of comfort

Isaiah 40:1 “1 “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God.”

It ends with the hope of that comfort

His salvation brings joy & peace

Like a child held by it’s mother we’ll know comfort & safety

Isa. 66:14 - In this we will truly flourish

He Brings Judgment

Isaiah has been very clear in expressing what rejecting the Saviour means

To those who refuse Jesus, reject His salvation

They remain enemies of God & receive judgment, anger, wrath & not peace & joy

God isn’t just annoyed or upset but filled with righteous anger

Those who worship anything, anyone other than the God who has heaven as throne & earth as footstool will forever know God’s indignation

This is the Hell Jesus speaks so often about

Matthew 10:28 “28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

This takes us right back to Isaiah’s grand theme: Salvation is of the Lord

It is the invitation given in

Isaiah 55:1–3 “1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.”

God’s Glory is Your Reward

Isaiah 66:18-24

You Will See God

See the Glory of God

Previous verses have given us some insight into the Kingdom that is to come

Joy, peace, comfort aren’t the ultimate reward of God’s salvation

These are results

Great reward of God’s salvation is to see His glory

That is to be in the presence of God

It is to see & know God unhindered

1 Corinthians 13:12 “12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”

What is clear is to see God’s glory isn’t only to see & know joy, peace & comfort

For I know their works & their thoughts

Implies the searching of God in hearts

God is glorified not just in doing good for His people

God is glorified in judging the wicked

So, to see God’s glory is to see God for all that He is

God’s just, right judgment of wicked further reveals beauty of His glory

Proclaim the Glory of God

While it does speak of the separation of the wicked

It begins with gathering the people of God

God’s heart is for salvation

That is His pleasure & joy

That’s why heaven sings when sinners come to repentance

Gathering of God’s people comes from reaching out to the nations

Great Commission isn’t just something to keep us busy

Great Commission (to GO & make Disciples) is God’s glorious purpose

Evangelism & missions are God’s great work

Notice how, even at the end, God’s means of reaching people is through His people

He sends us to the ends of the earth to proclaim His salvation

You Will Serve God

The Worship of God

As we expect, natural response of all of God’s glory is worship

Jew & Gentile alike, all taking part together in worship of God

We’re called now to worship in all we do

1 Corinthians 10:31 “31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

That’s not always easy to do now

1 day, everything we do will be truly worship & giving glory to God

This is the hope Isaiah has been pointing us to all along

Hope of God’s great & eternal deliverance

To rejoice, worship & serve God in perfection, forever

A Motivation for Service

As mentioned before

Jews didn’t like to end their reading on Isa. 66:24

Too harsh, too negative

Perhaps it seems that way to you too

Probably in reference to time after Armageddon

Too look over the dead of battle is description of victory

Speaks of God’s victory over wicked but not in way of celebration

Jesus quotes this passage in reference to hell

Mark 9:43–44 “43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—44 where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’”

There is tragedy in this victory

While many will rejoice in the glory of God, many will be separated from His glory forever

By motivation to serve I don’t mean do your best to avoid this end

I mean as believers it is good for us to ponder hard, uncomfortable truths

It ought to motivate us to serve God in proclaiming the Gospel

It ought to motivate us in reminding us we’re in a spiritual battle & stakes are immense

Conclusion

The Word of God is Your Anchor

Jesus is Your Saviour

God’s Glory is Your Reward

Isaiah has been clear from the beginning

Your sin, rebellion against God will lead you to Isa. 66:24 - judgment

Repentance & belief in Jesus will lead to deliverance & joy in God eternally

Believer, this is what we have been sent to do

Proclaim God’s salvation

Declare His glory in all the world

We have a certain hope

Jesus is coming back

Sadly, for some that will mean judgment

For we who believe it is the beauty of God’s Kingdom