Isaiah 61-66

Paul Bukauskas

Isaiah • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Chapter 61- 66 Review

Chapter 61

In Chapter 61 we are told that the city will be repaired ( 4 ), that the nation of Israel will become a royal priesthood maintained by the wealth of the gentiles ( 6 ), that their shame will be replaced by honor and joy ( 7 ). This all happens in the Millennium kingdom. This is the second of 4 anointed songs ( 61:1-9 )

Chapter 62

Chapter 62 is about the assurance that Zion will be saved, restored. Today it is forsaken, but in the future, salvation is coming to Israel. We’re in the middle of the third anointed song which began at 61:10 and runs to the end of this chapter. The theme is salvation

Chapter 63

The last of four anointed songs ( 63:1-6 ). The theme is the day of vengeance and the year of salvation. A very solemn chapter. The wine press of the Lord ( 1-6 ). Then the Saviour remembers mercy ( 7-19 ).

Chapter 64

A continuation of the prayer from Chapter 63. This is a pleading, crying prayer. A prayer that God would appear in some remarkable way against His enemies (1-2). A confession of their sins and that they deserve judgment (6-7). They pray for pardon and forgiveness (9-12). Here is one of the most quoted verses from Isaiah 64:6 And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags

Chapter 65

The new heavens and the new earth. The prophecy ends where the NT ends in Revelation. We see here the rejection by the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, and the saving of a remnant from Israel ( 8-10 ). And blessings reserved for the church ( 17-25 ). 65:1-12 asserts the facts. There are those who might inherit the glory and there are those who might have but will not

Chapter 66

In the previous chapter 65:1-12 we saw that there were both Jews and Gentiles that will inherit the future glory and then there were those who might have but will not. Here we are explicitly told about “making your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). The major theme is found in 2-3, 5b, trembling at the Word of the Lord. We will also see comfort to the persecuted, and the terrible vengeance God will bring on the enemies of the church

Chapter 61

Overview

There is a close relation between this chapter and the preceding; having described the future blessing of Zion Isaiah goes on to introduce the One who is to bring that blessing (Young)

The servant receives an anointing of the spirit but also of gifts.

Transforming power, present and future (61:1-9)

( 61:1-9 ) “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. 7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”

— The speaker is the messianic Servant. See 11:2; 42:1; 48:16; 59:21

— This is the second of 4 anointed songs ( 61:1-9 )

Q: Where is Isaiah 61:1-2 quoted in the NT?

Jesus Launches Ministry

This is quoted at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry

— He quotes this when he launches His ministry ( Lk 4:16-22 )

Luke 4:16–22 NKJV

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

Preached Gospel

And He preached the gospel

— He said the gospel has come to the poor, prisoners, oppressed…and this day is fulfilled in your hearing

The poor

Preach to the poor

— The downtrodden, the disadvantages

— Those held back by people and circumstances

— The penitent, the humble

— Not just poor in money but poor in spirit

Broken hearted

Heal the broken hearted

— Heal/bind up - personal attention, soothing, healing, restoring to wholeness

— Broken hearted conveys everything from emotional issues - to sin

Proclaim liberty

Proclaim liberty to the captives

— Captives are people in bondage

— Could be those dispersed who have not returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity

— Or freedom from sin

— “ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” ( Jn 8:36 )

Opening Prisons

Bringing People out of darkness prison

His Mission

— He understood His mission

Q: What did they do to Him after that sermon?

Murder

They tried to murder Him

— After just one sermon!

— They tried to throw Him off a cliff

Q: Why?

Because He said if you don’t see yourself as:

— The poor, brokenhearted

— Captive, prisoner

— Spiritually blind, oppressed

— YOU HAVE NO HOPE!

Illustrations

Then He used a couple of illustrations:

— You are like your forefathers, God couldn’t do anything with them either

Elijah heals

Elijah had to go over to Baal’s country and heal a widow over there

— And you are like the people in the day of Naaman

— God couldn’t do anything for the Jews, He had to go over and heal a boarder - terrorist Syrian by the name of Naaman (2 Ki 5:11)

You’re the same kind of people

— You think you’re righteous

— And that is why they tried to murder Him after just one sermon in His hometown

— And they are still that way

Self-Righteous

Self righteous people don’t need a saviour

— They don’t know that they are sick from the head to the toe (1:6)

Q: Notice what He didn’t say in Luke 4:19

First 1/2

( 61:2 ) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord

— He quotes the first half of this verse (to proclaim…the Lord)

— He left out - (60:2b) And the day of vengeance of our God

— This is the first clue that there would be a second coming

Q: Why

First Coming

The Lord understood His mission

— This was a search and rescue mission. To save, not condemn (John 3:17)

— His second coming will be for vengeance

— Isaiah couldn’t distinguish between His first coming and His second coming

— He saw them together

— The Lord was aware that His second coming He would execute judgment (John 5:22-29)

— The Demons understood it as well ! ( Matt 8:29 )

( 61:3 ) To console those who mourn in Zion

— He’ll replace their ashes with beauty

— When Jews mourned, they would sprinkle themselves with ashes

Q: What would happen to the ruined cities (4-5)? Who would help them?

( 61:4-5 ) The cities would be rebuilt

— Strangers, Gentiles would help, glad co-operation

— Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks - they will take responsibility

— They were shepherds now other people will be shepherds for them

Q: The nation of Israel will be called what in vv6-7? How was this fulfilled according to the NT?

Priests

( 61:6 ) But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God

— Israel was always to be priests (Ex 19:6)

— Again, we see a time when the Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled

— But their sin prevented them. Peter applies this to the church today ( 1 Peter 2:9 )

— ”But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

( 61:7 ) instead of shame...double honor … instead of confusion rejoice

— double honor to replace the double punishment in exile ( 40:2 )

( 61:8 ) love justice hate; robbery for burnt offering

— loves justice but hates things away by injustice

( 61:8 ) I will direct their work in truth

— God owes them (and us) nothing but will make an everlasting covenant with his people

— They will never again be prey for unrighteousness (Young)

( 61:9 ) Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”

— The blessings of the covenant are extended to the children ( 59:21 )

— “A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation” ( Ps 22:30 )

Transforming power, present and future > Joy in understanding the work of salvation (61:10-11)

( 61:10-11 ) I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Q: How will God clothe the people v10?

Righteousness

( 61:10 ) For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness

Salvation and Righteousness are connected

— Here is the OT picture of imputed righteousness, the essential heart of the new covenant

—The speaker in this verse cannot be the Messiah, for never in Scripture is the Messiah said to be clothed with the garments of salvation

— The one who here praises God has received righteousness and salvation from the Lord. The Messiah on the other hand brings salvation; he does not receive it

— Hence it is the Church of God, the elect, the true Israel, that here rejoices in the God of its salvation (Young)

— When a penitent sinner recognizes he can’t achieve his own righteousness by works and repents and calls on the mercy of God, the Lord covers him with His own divine righteousness by grace through faith ( Rom 3:19-22; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:8,9 )

— Zion is represented here as having received the blessings described in v. 3, e.g., joy and the garments of praise. To be “clothed” with something is a common metaphor for a change in status or condition (52:1; Zech. 3:3–5; Matt. 22:11; Rev. 19:7, 8)

Matthew Henry

— Those that rejoice in God have cause to rejoice greatly

— The first gospel song begins like this, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, Lu. 1:46, 47

— The clean linen is the righteousness of saints, Rev. 19:8.

— Observe how these two are put together; those, and those only, shall be clothed with the garments of salvation hereafter that are covered with the robe of righteousness now: and those garments are rich and splendid clothing, like the priestly garments (for so the word signifies) with which the bridegroom decks himself

— Matthew 22:11 Wedding guests were provided with garments but one man chose to reject it by seeking to establish his own righteousness (cf. Rom 10:3, Phil 3:9,9)

Anointed Song

The third (3rd) anointed song (61:10-62:12). The theme is salvation

A reminder

A reminder from nature

( 61:11 ) Isaiah reminds the Jews of the ordinary power of God demonstrated in nature. The earth blooms, the garden grows

— Will not God who gave His strength to the garden do so much more for His people ?

— Those that are clothed will show the righteousness and praise and they will come from all nations

— The goal of God’s acts of salvation is to have a holy people for the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:4–6

— All the ends of the earth will see the great salvation of the Lord

Chapter 62

Overview

Abraham

The Abrahamic Covenant involves God making Abraham into a great nation, land and through him all the nations of the world are blessed. In this chapter that day has arrived (the millennial kingdom)

Zeal for Zion (62:1-3)

( 62:1-3 ) For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. 2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the Lord will name. 3 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the Lord, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God.

Not Rest

( 62:1 ) For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest

— The Lord will not rest until He makes Jerusalem a lighthouse for the world (58:8, 60:1-3)

— He will not hold My peace, he will continue to preach

Matthew Henry

— He will not only faithfully deliver, but frequently repeat, the messages he has received from the Lord

— And, He will continue in prayer; he will never hold his peace at the throne of grace till he has prevailed with God for the mercies promised

— He will give himself to prayer and to the ministry of the word, as Christ’s ministers must (Acts 6:4)

All to see

All the world will see

( 62:2 ) The Gentiles and all the rulers of the world will see your glory

— 62:2 nations … kings. They witness the confirmation of the promises (2:2–4; 41:2 note; 52:10; 60:3; 61:11)

New Name

— God is the fountain of honour and from him the church’s honour comes:

— We will be called by a new name

— This alludes to ( Rev 2:17 )

— “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’ ( Rev 2:17 )

Zeal for Zion > Transformation: new names, new status (62:4-5)

( 62:4-5 ) You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the Lord delights in you, And your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.

Forsaken/Desolate

( 62:4 ) No longer called

— Forsaken

— Desolate

My Delight/Married

Instead she will be called:

— Hephzibah - my delight in her

— Beulah - married - a fully restored relationship with the Lord; she was forsaken but now married

— Probably seemed impossible that they would receive these new names. They were hated and abhorred by all their neighbors - as they are today

— Sometimes they lay prostrate at the feet of their enemies, no assistance of any kind

— They feel like a forsaken, divorced women

— But the Lord says all that’s coming to an end … verse 5

( 62:5 ) For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.

The Bride

Israel is the bride of the Lord

— Married now in a fully restored relationship with the Lord

Zeal for Zion > Transformation: new names, new status > Praying Guardians (62:6-7)

( 62:6-7 ) I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, 7 And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Praying

( 62:6 ) Watchman - prophets, prayed for Jerusalem

— They will pray for Jerusalem continually

— Those who pray are the guardians of the church

Ceaseless

— Prayer is ceaseless (day and night)

Vocal

— Vocal (not silent)

Effective

— Effective (calls on Him)

Two Promises

Matthew Henry

— Two things are here promised to Jerusalem:—

— Abundance of good preaching and good praying (v. 6, 7)

Those who prayed for Messiah’s first coming

Anna

Anna prayed in the temple continuously (Luke 2:36-38)

— Fasted and prayed for the redemption of Jerusalem

Watch

We are to watch and pray

— We don’t know when the Lord will return

— When He does, it will bring the Millennium (Matt 24:42, Matthew 25:13, cf. Mark 13:33-37; Lk 21:36)

Zeal for Zion > Transformation: new names, new status > Praying Guardians > The Great Oath and Great Summons (62:8-12)

( 62:8-12 ) The Lord has sworn by His right hand And by the arm of His strength: “Surely I will no longer give your grain As food for your enemies; And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine, For which you have labored. 9 But those who have gathered it shall eat it, And praise the Lord; Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.” 10 Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples! 11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed To the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.’ ” 12 And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

Q: What did God promise His people? Who would not receive it (vv8-9)?

Matthew Henry

— God’s people had been in great distress and had sustained losses

— Their corn had been meat for their enemies, which they needed for their own families

— But now outward prosperity, crowning its piety, shall help to make Jerusalem a praise in the earth

( 62:8 ) No more foreign domination

— The enemies will no longer take their grain

— It is certain as God’s oath

( 62:9 ) Instead, those who gathered the grain will eat it

— The Holy Courts - refers to the millennial temple

— There is no temple in Jerusalem today

Q: What would be proclaimed among the people (vv10-12)? What would people be called? How does this fit NT teaching ?

Matthew Henry

— This, as many like passages before, refers to the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon, and, under the type and figure of that, to the great redemption wrought out by Jesus Christ, and the proclaiming of gospel grace and liberty through him.

Prepare the Way

( 62:10 ) Prepare the way for the people

— John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord ( Matt 3:3 )

— And, before Christ by his graces and comforts comes to any for salvation, preparation is made for him by repentance, which is called the preparation of the gospel of peace, Eph. 6:15.

Salvation Coming

( 62:11 ) Salvation is coming - say this to Jerusalem. Coming for the whole world not just Zion

— Christ is not only Saviour but Salvation itself ( 12:2 )

( 62:11 ) Behold, His reward is with Him

— His saved people are both what He earned and what He has accomplished

— ( 53:12 ) both His portion and His spoil

Holy People

( 62:12 ) And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord

— The work that will be done in them and upon them will make them a Holy People

— Cured of Idolatry, consecrated to God only

— We are also be called Holy in the NT

— ”but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” ( 1 Peter 1:15-16 )

No more forsaken

— 62:12e A City Not Forsaken

Chapter 63

Overview

The day of vengeance and the victory of the Anointed Conqueror (63:1-6)

( 63:1-6 ) Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. 6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.”

Who is this?

( 63:1 ) Who is this who comes from Edom

RC Sproul

— The passage depicts God coming as the divine warrior (59:15–19), having accomplished the salvation of His people. This is the good news that the watchmen on the walls are to declare to their contemporaries ( 52:7–10 )

— Edom. Represents the ungodly and proud nations, as it does often in the OT (34:1–17, esp. v. 5; cf. Lam. 4:21, 22; Ezek. 35; Joel 3:19; Obad. 14, 15; Mal. 1:2–5)

Q: How are the clothes described of the One who comes from Edom (63:1)

The Lord just said “Your salvation is coming” (62:11)

— They’ve set watchman

— They’re all on the lookout for the Lord’s salvation

( 63:1 ) Striking figure, comes alone, approaches from Edom

— Vividly and majestically dressed

— Edom (Esau) the flesh, Bozrah = capital of Edom

But who is this?

( 63:1e ) “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

— The Saviour, that’s who!

— Jesus, signifies a Saviour, for he saves his people from their sins

Beauty/Majesty

In His first coming there was no majesty

— No beauty

— Here, He is recognized for His majesty and beauty

— This is His second coming

Judgment

Coming in Judgment. Judgment always precedes the kingdom

— Judgment before the kingdom

Q: What is the significance of Edom?

Edom

A long time enemy of Israel despite the common ancestry in Isaac (Gen 25:23)

— The watchman on the wall sees Edom approaching and fears it is an attack

— But it is not the king of Edom but the Lord who is coming from Edom

Q: What caused His clothes to be red (vv2-3)?

( 63:2 ) Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

( 63:3 ) He says the red is from the winepress

— He has trodden Israel’s enemies in anger

— It’s not grape juice, rather blood on His clothes

( 63:3 ) Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes

J V McGee

Early church Fathers thought this was Christ’s suffering; first coming

He was trodden at his first coming; here he does the trodding

Enemies

In the 2nd Anointed One song (61:1-9) He said He came to bring the day of vengeance of our God (61:2)

— John alludes to this in Revelation

— “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” ( Rev 19:13 )

— “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” ( Rev 19:15 )

His Zeal

Matthew Henry

— He undertakes the war purely out of his own zeal

— It is in his anger, it is in his fury, that he treads down his enemies (v. 3)

Olivet Discourse

Jesus says this in the Olivet Discourse

— “For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” ( Lk 21:22 )

Q: What motivated God to act? How did He treat His enemies (vv4-6)?

Vengeance

( 63:4 ) Vengeance is in my heart

In His heart - He’s fixed on it

— He cannot forget, He cannot let it slip

— The day of vengeance is in my heart (v. 4), the day fixed in the eternal counsels for taking vengeance on them

— Jesus said this would be fulfilled, as it is written (Luke 21:22)

Time is fixed

( 63:4b ) And the year of My redeemed has come

— The time is fixed

— The year for Israel’s delivery from Egypt was fixed

— “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” ( Ex 12:41 )

— The year of their release from Babylonian captivity was fixed ( Dan 9:2 )

— And the year of His vengeance is also fixed

Redeemed

He calls Israel His redeemed

— Applies to the Church as well. They were redeemed in 53

— From 56:1 onwards, we are awaiting the fulfillment of our salvation

( 63:5 ) I looked but there was no one to help (cf 41:28; 59:16)

— He alone accomplished our salvation

— ( 63:4-5 ) His Salvation will be single-handed; my own arm

— Made them drink - intoxicated with wrath

— Pouring of blood - Like His redemption is a finished work, His vengeance is a finished work

— It cannot be undone

The day of vengeance and the victory of the Anointed Conqueror > A Prayer of Remembrance (63:7-13)

( 63:7-13 ) I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. 8 For He said, “Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior. 9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old.

Q: How does Isaiah describe the blessings God had given to the people (vv7-9)?

— This is a prayer of remembrance

— Remember God’s mercy

( 63:7 ) the lovingkindnesses of the Lord

— Every possible aspect and display of the Lord’s never-failing-love

— The deeds He is to be praised for

— The many good things which have met our needs

Election

( 63:8 ) The Lord’s love began in election

— Surely they are My people

— Children who will not lie…continued in salvation and redemption

— What Israel was called to be, the faithful children of God (Ex. 4:22; Deut. 14:1), not what they actually became, the rebellious children described in 1:2–4

Saved/Redeemed

( 63:9 ) saved them…redeemed them

— Close enough that he felt their addition

Matthew Henry

— The principle that moved him to work salvation for them; it was in his love and in his pity, out of mere compassion to them and a tender affection for them, not because he either needed them or could be benefited by them

— Their cries move him (Ex. 3:7), and he appears for them as vigorously as if he were pained in their pain

— Saul, why persecutest thou me?

— This is matter of great comfort to God’s people in their affliction that God is so far from afflicting willingly (Lam. 3:33)

( 63:10 ) But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.

Q: But how had the people treated God despite His goodness (v10). So How did God react?

They grieved

( 63:10 ) They rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit

—Rebellion against God’s word brought the patience of God’s Spirit to an end, and the exile resulted (cf. 2 Chr. 36:15–21; Ps. 106:33; Acts 7:51; Eph. 4:30)

— Grieve not the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30)

— How we grieve the Holy Spirit!

— It amazes me that He hasn’t given up on me

— They murmured against God, Moses (Ex 17:2; Num 11:1, 20:3)

— Divine patience is longsuffering, but it will not restrain God’s judgment forever

The Lord turned

( 63:10 ) He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them

— Those who refuse His way become His enemies ( 1:24 )

Q: What blessings from God are remembered in vv 11-13?

( 63:11 ) The days of old (63:12,13)

— Bringing them out of Egypt through the Red Sea

— Moses was the shepherd

— Passed through the Red Sea on dry ground

— The Holy Spirit was among them (Num 11:17, 25,29)

— The Holy Spirt was among them not in them as in the NT

The day of vengeance and the victory of the Anointed Conqueror > A Prayer of Remembrance > God’s Purpose for Israel (63:14-16)

( 63:14-16 ) As a beast goes down into the valley, And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest, So You lead Your people, To make Yourself a glorious name. 15 Look down from heaven, And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your strength, The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained. 16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.

( 63:14 ) make Yourself a glorious name

— His purpose for Israel was to make them great and to glorify / magnify His name (cf. 63:12 to make for Himself an everlasting name)

— ( 63:14 ) And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest

— The most references to the Holy Spirit in the OT

— ( 11:2 ) He brings wisdom and understanding and the fear of the Lord

— ( 32:15 ) He brings abundance

— ( 34:16 ) He carries out God’s word

— ( 40:13 ) He is the master counselor

— ( 42:1 ) The Messiah will be given the Holy Spirit

— ( 44:3-5 ) Through the spirit God’s true children will thrive

— ( 48:16 ) The Spirit sent Isaiah to prophesy

— ( 61:1 ) The Spirit appointed God’s servants to proclaim the good news

— ( 63:10,11 ) The Spirit of the Lord can be grieved because of God’s people

— ( 63:14 ) The Spirit of the Lord gives rest (Application Bible)

New mercies Prayer for new mercies

( 63:15 ) Isaiah asked if God had changed how He felt about Israel

— He prayed for new mercies

Q: What is the significance of calling God as their Father in v16?

( 63:16 ) Abraham and Jacob (Israel) were descendants and Jews looked upon that as a privilege

— This was the sin of the Jews to rest on this privilege ( Matt 3:9; John 4:12;8:39 )

— Now they renounce that and trust in God alone as their father

— OT he was their father (corporate) not individual ; NT individual and not corporate

The day of vengeance and the victory of the Anointed Conqueror > A Prayer of Remembrance > God’s Purpose for Israel (63:14-16) > Why? - a plea for an erring people (63:17-19)

( 63:17-19 ) O Lord, why have You made us stray from Your ways, And hardened our heart from Your fear? Return for Your servants’ sake, The tribes of Your inheritance. 18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while; Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary. 19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, Those who were never called by Your name.

Q: What did they call upon God to do in v17?

( 63:17 ) God allowed them to stray

— They were not denying their guilt but confessing it and because of it, God gave them up to their choices

— Those are wicked indeed that lay the blame of their wickedness upon God

— At some point God hardens the heart and this is the point of no return (Rom 9:18)

— Rebellion against God’s word brought the patience of God’s Spirit to an end, and the exile resulted (cf. 2 Chr. 36:15–21; Ps. 106:33; Acts 7:51; Eph. 4:30)

— Divine patience is longsuffering, but it will not restrain God’s judgment forever

Not Blaming God

— When they ask, Why hast thou done this? it is not as charging him with wrong, but lamenting it as a sore judgment

— God had caused them to err and hardened their hearts, not only by withdrawing his Spirit from them, because they had grieved, and vexed, and quenched him (v. 10), but by a judicial sentence upon them

— Return for Your servants’ sake

— They remind God of His promise and offer earnest prayer

— They pray for restoration. They are His inheritance

Q: How had they been treated (vv18-19)?

( 63:18 ) Their sanctuaries were down trodden by the Babylonians and others

( 63:19 ) From the outside, they looked like other nations that had no special relationship with God

— This is a cry; it is for divine intervention that Isaiah prays

— May there be a true theophany like the one that appeared at Mt. Sinai for the purpose of destroying the enemies and again blessing the chosen people? ( Young )

Chapter 64

Overview

A continuation of the prayer from Chapter 63. This is a pleading, crying prayer. A prayer that God would appear in some remarkable way against His enemies (1-2). A confession of their sins and that they deserve judgment (6-7). They pray for pardon and forgiveness (9-12). Verses 64:1-6 describe God’s incomparable Glory that is like a consuming fire. If we are so impure how can we be possibly saved? Here is one of the most quoted verses from Isaiah 64:6 And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags

If only - what might so easily have been (64:1-3)

( 64:1-3 ) Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence— 2 As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! 3 When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence.

Chapter Outline

Their pray petitions God

( 1- 2) They pray that God would appear in some remarkable way

( 3-5 ) They plead to God based on what he has already done and is ready to do

( 6-7 ) They confess their sin and their unworthiness

( 8 ) They refer themselves to the mercy of God as a Father, and submit themselves to his sovereignty

( 9-12 ) They pray for forgiveness of sin and that God will turn away his anger

Q: The remnant prays that God would appear in some remarkable way before His enemies (vv1-2). What do they pray?

Come Down

( 64:1,2 ) Israel’s response to her own complaint ( 63:19 ) was that God would come down and execute judgment on His people’s enemies

— With eloquence Isaiah pleads with God not just to look down from heaven ( 63:15 ) but to come down, making His presence unmistakably clear, especially in the fires of judgment on His enemies (4:4, 5 and notes; Ex. 19:18; Heb. 12:18)

— Here, they pray that he would rend the heavens and come down, as when he delivered David he is said to “bow the heavens, and come down“ ( Ps. 18:9 ), to display his power, and justice, and goodness, in an extraordinary manner, so that all may take notice of them and acknowledge them

— This is exactly what we expect when the Lord comes again at his second coming

— “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” ( 1 Thess 4:16 )

Water Boils

— Just like fire makes water boil ( 64:2 ), God’s presence makes nation’s tremble

— Today, we have godless nations

— No fear of the Lord

— Sooner or later God will make his name known to his adversaries and force those to tremble at his presence that would not come and worship in his presence ( Henry )

If only - what might so easily have been > You are angry - the unique God and the forfeiture of his favour (64:4-5)

( 64:4-5 ) For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him. 5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned— In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved.

History

( 64:4 ) Neither history (since the beginning of the world, since ancient time NIV)

— Paul quotes this verse in 1 Cor 2:9 and part of 65:17 ; mysteries hidden from mankind not discovered objectively or subjectively

— Refers to the wisdom God has prepared for believers

— God’s truth is not discoverable by eye and ear (empirical) or discovered by the mind (subjective)

— There is no God beside you

— And He acts on behalf of those who waits for Him

— Waiting is a big part of Faith

Awesome Things

( 64:3 ) References to Mt. Sinai

— The mountain shook

— Judgement

— Psalms says that when He came down from the mountain the hills skipped

— “ The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs.” ( Ps 114:4 )

Q: When the people came in direct exposure to God’s character, what did they realize they needed (v5)?

Direct Exposure

( 64:5 ) And we need to be saved

— Direct exposure to His holiness, judgment we realize we need to be saved

— Philippian jailer saw God’s holiness, power ( Acts 16:30 )

— When we come in direct exposure to God’s character, His holiness, His judgment, His Justice...

— We realize like the Philippian jailer that we need a Saviour

If only - what might so easily have been > You are angry - the unique God and the forfeiture of his favour > The hidden face: sin and helplessness (64:6-7)

( 64:6-7 ) But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. 7 And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities.

Matthew Henry

— As we have the Lamentations of Jeremiah, so here we have the Lamentations of Isaiah; the subject of both is the same—the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans and the sin of Israel that brought that destruction—only with this difference, Isaiah sees it at a distance and laments it by the Spirit of prophecy, Jeremiah saw it accomplished

— The people of God in their affliction confess and bewail their sins, thereby justifying God in their afflictions, owning themselves unworthy of his mercy, and thereby both improving their troubles and preparing for deliverance

Our best falls short

— As the prayer continues, they confess their sin and their unworthiness

( 64:6 ) All our righteousness is like dirty menstrual rags

— Isaiah includes himself

— True of Israel and of individuals

— unclean. Unfit to be in God’s presence ( Lev. 13:45, 46; Hag. 2:13, 14 )

— John Bunyan, who saw this truth clearly, once said that the best prayer he ever prayed had enough sin in it to damn the whole world

Sin makes us unclean so that we cannot approach God ( 6:5; Rom 3:23 )

— Just like a beggar could not dine at the King’s table

— It does not mean that God will reject us if we come in faith; or that he despises our efforts to please him

— This verse could be easily misunderstood

Jesus tells the story of a wedding ( Matt 22:11 )

— One man rejects the garments of righteousness which Christ offers ( cf Is 61:10 )

— Seeks to establish his own righteousness ( cf. Rom 10:3; Phil 3:8,9 )

Q: What does 64:6 mean?

Our basis

It means that if we come to God demanding acceptance based on our good deeds

— He will tells us that our good conduct is nothing compared to his infinite righteousness (Application Bible)

Decay / Death

fade as a leaf - decay ending in death

( 64:7 ) No one calls on His name

— And that’s why you’ve hidden your face from us

— All of us are separated, no exceptions

Half-asleep

Stirs Himself - half asleep without God

— Such seeking and calling on the Lord ( 55:6,7 ) cannot occur apart from powerful conviction and awakening of the sinful heart by the Holy Spirit

— Isaiah’s prayer recognizes God as a potter in control of clay and pleads for Him to do a saving work ( 64:8 )

If only - what might so easily have been > You are angry - the unique God and the forfeiture of his favour > The hidden face: sin and helplessness > But now - a plea to the unchanged God (64:8-9)

( 64:8-9 ) But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. 9 Do not be furious, O Lord, Nor remember iniquity forever; Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!

Creator

God as creator

( 64:8 ) We are the clay, and You our potter

— This prayer recognizes God as the potter, He is sovereign

— He controls the clay and can do what He wants? ( Jer 18:6 )

Saving Work

Earlier - they prayed for Him to do His saving work ( cf. 45:9,10; 60:21; 63:16 )

( 60:21 ) Also your people shall all be righteous - this is in the Millennial

( 63:16 ) Doubtless You are our Father...

— Our redeemer from everlasting is Your Name

End His Anger

— He promised to end His anger (54:7-8)

Isaiah 54:7–8 NKJV

7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. 8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Blot out Sin

( 64:9 ) Nor remember iniquity forever (cf. 43:25)

— They entreat God that his anger is abated

— He will not remember their sins

If only - what might so easily have been > You are angry - the unique God and the forfeiture of his favour > The hidden face: sin and helplessness > But now - a plea to the unchanged God > After all this - can love still be withheld (64:10-12)

( 64:10-12 ) Your holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and beautiful temple, Where our fathers praised You, Is burned up with fire; And all our pleasant things are laid waste. 12 Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord? Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?

Q: How do verses 10,11 describe the destruction of the cities ?

( 64:10 ) wilderness… Jerusalem a desolation

( 64:11 ) The temple is destroyed by fire

— Everything is laid waste ( this is prophetic, Jeremiah will lament looking backwards )

— Jerusalem fell and the temple was destroyed in 586 BC

— Isaiah prophesied 100 years before this took place, recorded in 2 Ki 25

— Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon besieged the city. Broke down the walls (2 Ki 25:4)

Burned houses

Burned down the temple and the King’s house and all of the houses in Jerusalem (2 Ki 25:9)

Looted Temple

Looted the temple, took the bronze (2 Ki 25:13), the utensils, gold, silver (2 Ki 25:14-15)

The Question

This has not happened yet but Isaiah sees it as if ready happened

— The temple is destroyed

— The walls are broken

— The city is in ruins

Q: What question is asked of God in v12?

( 64:12 ) Now that sin has been exposed (64:6) and acknowledged and confessed

— Will the Lord remain restrained?

— Will He not leap into action?

— God will not allow His glory to be trampled

— Lord how can you stand there when your city is in ruins

— Will He not revenge it?

— Has the jealous God forgotten to be jealous?

— “Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.” ( Ps 74:22 )

— When God is injured in His honor we expect Him to be just in seeking vindication

— When we are abused we hold our peace, because vengeance does not belong to us, and because we have a God to refer our cause to ( Henry )

Chapter 65

Overview

The Lord’s world initiative (65:1)

( 65:1 ) “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by My name.

— Isaiah is very bold, not only in foretelling something so improbable but telling it directly to the Jews

— The Jews would take the news as an affront to their nation, and therein Moses’s words would be made good ( Deut 32:21 ), I will provoke you to jealousy by those that are no people ( Henry )

Q: Where is 65:1-2 quoted in the NT? What is the meaning?

Rom 10:20

Paul illuminates this verse (Rom 9:24, 10:20-21)

— Applies this to Gentiles who find Him through sovereign Grace

Matthew Henry

— Those who had long been without God in the world shall now be set a seeking him; those who had not said, Where is God my maker? shall now begin to enquire after him

— Neither they nor their fathers had called upon his name, but either lived without prayer or prayed to stocks and stones, the work of men’s hands. But now they shall be baptized and call on the name of the Lord, Acts 2:21

— the Gentile world began on his side; they came to know God because they were known of him (Gal. 4:9), to seek God and find him because they were first sought and found of him

Young

— In other words, God’s free grace reached those who did not know Him and who made no effort to find Him

— Seek ... We can seek only because He first sought us (Jn 15:16)

Rom 10:20-21 Contradict - speak against.

( 65:1-2 ) Israel sought the Lord but superficially

— They did not genuinely seek Him

The Lord’s world initiative (65:1) > Pleading, provocation and reaction (65:2-7)

( 65:2-7 ) I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; 3 A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick; 4 Who sit among the graves, And spend the night in the tombs; Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; 5 Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day. 6 “Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay— Even repay into their bosom— 7 Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together,” Says the Lord, “Who have burned incense on the mountains And blasphemed Me on the hills; Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”

( 65:2 )spread out my hands. Unlike the people whose “hands are full of blood” (1:15), the Lord has reached out with love, entreating His own people to come to Him, but they will not come (John 1:11)

— Instead, they prefer to walk in ways that were not good (cf. Ezek. 20:25)

Q: What sins did God accuse the people of vv3-4?

No Letup

— There is no letup in the vexing of God

— The People provoke me anger, upon my face, always (Young)

( 65:3 ) A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens

Idolatry

And burn incense on altars of brick; They were religious but it was idolatry, abominable to the Lord

Commune with dead

( 65:4 ) Who sit among the graves, And spend the night in the tombs

Break dietary laws

Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels

— Eating of swine’s flesh is considered an abomination ( Is 65:4; 66:3, 17 )

— Communing with the spirits of the dead is forbidden (Deut 18:10,11)

— Fortune telling, Dietary laws (Lev 11:7,8), clean and unclean foods

Q: How did they view themselves ?

( 65:5 ) Holy, self-righteous

— They would say “I am holier than you” , and therefore you are not good enough to speak with me; I am not as other men are, nor even as this publican”

— such pretensions are smoke in My nostrils

Disregard the Lord’s Directions

1. They disregarded the Lord’s directions regarding worship

(3cd) Sacrifice in gardens, burn incense on altars of brick

Other sources not His Word

2. They resorted to other sources of revelation but not His Word

(4ab) Graves, tombs, speaking to the dead

Neglect Obedience

3. Neglect the obedience factor in holy living

(4cd) eat swine’s flesh, unclean animals

Divisive Fellowship

4. Results in divisive fellowship

(5ab) Keep to yourself, don’t come near me

All Day

The false holiness is all day, constant

Q: But how did God view them (6,7)?

The divine reaction is

1. Certain, for it is written before Me

— It is written, to be remembered against them in time to come

— The sins of sinners, and particularly the vainglorious boasts and scorns of hypocrites, are laid up in store with God ( Deut 32:34 )

2. Personal, I will not keep silent

3. Measured, payback in full

4 Individual in application, into their lap

( 65:6 ) I will not keep silence, but will repay

— They prayed that the Lord deliver them, i.e., not restrain himself (64:12)

— His response was probably surprising!

— He will act in judgment not deliverance to punish sin (7)

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Isaiah 65:1–7

The proof against them is plain: Behold, it is written before me, v. 6. It is written, to be remembered against them in time to come; for they may not perhaps be immediately reckoned with. The sins of sinners, and particularly the vainglorious boasts and scorns of hypocrites, are laid up in store with God, Deu. 32:34. And what is written shall be read and proceeded upon: “I will not keep silence always, though I may keep silence long.” They shall not think him altogether such a one as themselves, as sometimes they have done; but he will recompense, even recompense into their bosom. Those basely abuse religion, that honourable and sacred thing, who make their profession of it the matter of their pride, and the jealous God will reckon with them for it; the profession they boast of shall but serve to aggravate their condemnation. [1.] The iniquity of their fathers shall come against them; not but that their own sin deserved whatever judgments God brought upon them, and much heavier; and this they owned, Ezra 9:13. But God would not have wrought so great a desolation upon them if he had not therein had an eye to the sins of their fathers. Therefore in the last destruction of Jerusalem God is said to bring upon them the blood of the Old-Testament martyrs, even that of Abel, Mt. 23:35. God will reckon with them, not only for their fathers’ idols, but for their high places, their burning incense upon the mountains and the hills, though perhaps it was to the true God only. This was blaspheming or reproaching God; it was a reflection upon the choice he had made of the place where he would record his name, and the promise he had made that there he would meet them and bless them. [2.] Their own with that shall bring ruin upon them: Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, the one aggravating the other, constitute the former work, which, though it may seem to be overlooked and forgotten, shall be measured into their bosom. God will render into the bosom, not only of his open enemies (Ps. 79:12), but of

( 65:7 ) Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together - He will punish sin

Matthew Henry

— But God would not have wrought so great a desolation upon them if he had not therein had an eye to the sins of their fathers

— Therefore in the last destruction of Jerusalem God is said to bring upon them the blood of the Old-Testament martyrs, even that of Abel, Mt. 23:35

— God will reckon with them, not only for their fathers’ idols, but for their high places, their burning incense upon the mountains and the hills, though perhaps it was to the true God only

— This was blaspheming or reproaching God; it was a reflection upon the choice he had made of the place where he would record his name, and the promise he had made that there he would meet them and bless them

( 65:7 ) Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom

— I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds (NIV)

— Payback in full

— Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, the one aggravating the other, constitute the former work, which, though it may seem to be overlooked and forgotten, shall be measured into their bosom

The Lord’s world initiative > Pleading, provocation and reaction > A preserved remnant, His servants who will inherit His land (65:8-10)

( 65:8-10 ) Thus says the Lord: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,’ So will I do for My servants’ sake, That I may not destroy them all. 9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there. 10 Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, For My people who have sought Me.

Matthew Henry

— This is expounded by St. Paul, Rom. 11:1–5, where, when, upon occasion of the rejection of the Jews, it is asked, Hath God then cast away his people?

— Paul answers, no!

— for at this time there is a remnant according to the election of grace

— This prophecy has reference to that distinguished remnant

Q: What illustration is used in verse 8? What meaning is explained in vv 8-10? (Think what kind of wine has a blessing in it? Alcoholic or non-alcoholic?)

( 65:8 ) As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,’ So will I do for My servants’ sake, That I may not destroy them all.

Juice

Juice - not unfermented wine, but wine made from the first drippings of the juice before the winepress was trodden

— A beautiful image of the assurance of salvation

— The winepress of wrath discriminates (63:3, Rev 14:20)

Blessing

There is a blessing in it

— The Lord’s people are a blessing to Him and He will guard them

( 65:8-10 ) In the midst of the final fury of judgment, God purges out the rebels in Israel (cf. Ezek 20:38)

— God judges the nation but there is a remnant

( 65:9 ) I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains;

— This verse show how God will carry out his promise

— If God did not act on the nation to bring forth a seed there would be no seed, remnant

( 65:9 ) My Servant, My elect (1:9); the seed, the remnant

( 65:10 ) Sharon… Valley of Achor The whole land

The Lord’s world initiative (65:1) > Pleading, provocation and reaction > A preserved remnant, His servants who will inherit His land > The fate of those who forsake the Lord and follow cults (65:11-12)

( 65:11-12 ) “But you are those who forsake the Lord, Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for Gad, And who furnish a drink offering for Meni. 12 Therefore I will number you for the sword, And you shall all bow down to the slaughter; Because, when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke, you did not hear, But did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.

Q: What was done by those who forsake the Lord (11-12)?

The Apostate Israelites (11-15)

( 65:11 ) But you are those who forsake the Lord

— These are apostate Israelites ( 11-15 )

— Isaiah will refer to them as brethren ( 66:5 )

( 65:11 ) forget My holy mountain

— Worship idols like God and Men?

Idol Worship

They have no one to blame but themselves for the sword of damnation that fell on them

( 65:12 ) sword…slaughter

— God’s purpose in numbering one by one was to slay them with the sword

— It is not permitted that any person shall have a free choice to follow whatever he thinks fit, but must observe what God approves

The Lord’s world initiative > Pleading, provocation and reaction > A preserved remnant, His servants who will inherit His land > The fate of those who forsake the Lord and follow cults > Joys for the Lord’s servants in the new creation (65:13-25)

( 65:13-25 ) Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed; 14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit. 15 You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord God will slay you, And call His servants by another name; 16 So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My eyes. 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. 20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, And their offspring with them. 24 “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the Lord

Q: In contrast, how will God treat His true Servants (vv13-14)?

What will happen to faithful vs unfaithful men?

(65:13) My Servants The unfaithful

— shall eat — shall be hungry

— shall drink — shall thirst

— shall rejoice — be ashamed

( 65:14 )

— shall sing — cry for sorrow and wail for grief

The true children of God vs the hypocrites of the church

— Today the servants of the Lord “are hungry and thirst” (1 Cor 4:11) and the wicked enjoy

— food

— shelter

— wealth

But one day he will in the kingdom

— The Lord does not promise what He does not bestow

New Name

( 65:15 ) And call His servants by another name;

— Bless - earth, people from all the earth will have a new name

— We give honor to God in our prayers

— Swear - and promises / oaths that we make

— This we owe God, we must first admit that we have enough to make us happy

— New Name - (65:15) Israel will be honored among the nations(62:2-4)

— So those who are not of the remnant will endure shame as a Jew, old name

— another name. A name of blessing rather than curse ( cf 62:2 )

— Like new clothes (61:10 note), the new name signifies a renewed relationship and enhanced privilege (vv. 4, 12; cf. 1:26; 56:5; 60:14, 18; cf. Gen. 17:5, 15; Rev. 2:17; 3:12)

( 65:16 ) So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth

— Some day all the rebels will be purged out

— All blessings will be to the God of Truth

God of Truth

( 65:16 ) God of Truth

Lit. means, God of Amen referring go very God, true God who will honor His promises to Israel

— Christ, some see this as Christ Himself, who is Himself the Amen, Faithful Witness

—“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God” ( Rev 3:14 )

— In Christ are all the promises Yes and Amen

— ”For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” ( 2 Cor 1:20 )

New Heaven and New Earth

Israel’s future kingdom will include both the Millennial 1,000 years here on earth and the eternal kingdom in God’s new creation

— In the eternal kingdom there will be no oceans, deserts, it will be a new earth

— Here Isaiah uses the eternal kingdom as a reference to both

— Isaiah is unable to see Christ’s 1st and 2nd coming

— Likewise, he could not see the millennial and future new heaven and new earth

— It was the belief of the Jews that Messiah would renew the earth and the heavens based on the prophecy of Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22

— Peter called it “the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times” ( Acts 3:21 )

Q: Describe the conditions of the New Jerusalem (17-20)?

Former not remembered

( 65:17 ) For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind

— new heavens and a new earth, 2 Pt. 3:13

— Behold, I make all things new, Rev. 21:5

— This prophecy awaits the second coming of Christ (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1)

— In the meantime, through faith the saints experience in part the blessing of the age to come

Joy

( 65:18 ) Jerusalem and its people have joy

— We mourn now, but in that day there will be great joy

No Weeping

( 65:19 ) No weeping, no crying will be heard ( Rev 2:14 )

— Joy will only be heard

— We wouldn’t remember the old world that caused us to weep, sorrow

McGee

( 65:20 ) “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed

— J. Vernon McGee says, we will not need nursing homes in the Millennial kingdom. If you die at 100, you’ll die as a youth. If you die that young, it is assumed God took your life because of sin

Q: How does God describe the labors of His true Servant (21-23)?

Justice

— Justice will prevail

— No one will rightfully deprive people of what is rightfully theirs

( 65:21 ) They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit

— Because of their disobedience they could not enjoy the fruit of their labor, i.e. homes, vineyards cf. (Deut 28:30, Zeph 1:13, Mich 6:15)

( 65:22 ) They will enjoy the work of their hands

Not labor in vain

( 65:23a ) They shall not labor in vain

— Their offspring will inherit their hard work

Children/Blessing

( 65:23b ) Nor bring forth children for trouble

— These children will be a comfort to their parents

— They wouldn’t die of sudden death - trouble (lit)

— Trouble means literally, sudden death

— Scripture speaks of salvation during the Millennium ( 60:3 )

— Some children born to the redeemed will not believe

— dust shall be the serpent’s food. Alludes to Gen. 3:14. The curse on Satan is carried out, with the resulting blessings for redeemed humanity

Anticipation

( 65:24 ) Our relationship will be so close that He will anticipate our every need

— Like the Father of the prodigal son, looking, waiting, anticipating

Animal World

( 65:25 ) Dangers from the animal world will also be non-existent

— The wolf will prefer hay over lamb chops

McGee

— Interesting that God would make the Lion eat hay but God can do that and make the Lion eat anything He wants

— Gen 9:4 men became flesh eaters. Were we vegetarians before the flood?

Chapter 66

Overview

Those who have chosen their own way (66:1-4)

( 66:1-4 ) Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. 3 “He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, 4 So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.”

McGee

The world is full of churches but for God, where God never shows up

MacArthur

The most glorious building ever erected by man to honor God was actually designed by God Himself

Gold

Completely covered with gold so that no stone was visible. 200,000 men and 7 1/2 years to build this temple

Not His dwelling place

Even that was not His dwelling place

— When it was completed

—”so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” ( 1 Ki 8:11 )

— That wasn’t the whole Lord, only His Shekinah presence

— That was not all of God, only a symbol of His presence

— “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” ( 1 Kings 8:27 )

A warning

At the same time just as the temple was completed, there was a warning given

— He will meet us if we walk in His Word. If we don’t, He will leave us and abandon His House

— ”57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.” ( 1 Ki 8:57-58 )

Ezekiel

Ezekiel has a vision in Ez 8

— He sees the people worshipping Tammuz, the false god and people are worshipping the sun god ( Ez 8:6 )

Glory Departed

— The glory departed ( Ez 10:18ff )

— The glory of God rises up over the threshold of the door, moves up in the air to the foot of the mountains and disappears

— God left the temple which He Himself had designed

6 Years

Six (6) years after Ezekiel’s vision, the Babylonians arrive, August 586 BC

— They dismantle the temple, take all the wealth

— They only leave rubble

Zerubbabel

516 BC The Jews are released from captivity and the first wave led by Zerubbabel rebuild the temple

— Less glorious than the Solomon temple

Pig

— 170 BC it was destroyed by Antiochus Epiphanes who killed a pig on the altar in the Holy of Holies

Herod

Herod in 20 BC tried to restore the temple, even being rebuilt during Jesus’ time

— But God never came back

Romans

The Romans under Titus Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70

— The temple was destroyed again and has never been rebuilt

Q: Why all this judgment ?

Because they rejected the Word and failed to be obedient to Him

— The Lord is saying - I’m not impressed with a building even if it has My Name on it, even if I designed it

— Where would there be a place where I could rest?

— Don’t you know (66:2) My hand has made, And all those things exist

— Including the material out of which you might make a building

— thus all things came into being declares the Lord

— God has everything so give Him back what He wants

What He wants

Middle of verse (2) - (66:2) But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

Small Place

Not a large place, but a small place, a human heart

— Not outward afflictions but a inward broken heart

Same Idea

( 57:15 ) I dwell in the high and holy place with Him who has a contrite and humble spirit

— God finds His home in a contrite heart

— A trembling heart

— A heart humbled before Him

— A heart broken over sin before Him

Q: How did the people view their sacrifices (vv3-4)? And how did God respond?

( 66:3,4 ) Good loathes even the sacrifices of the wicked

— Some Jews were offering Bulls as sacrifices with the same empty heartedness as pagans offering a man on the altar

— The sacrifice of the wicked is not only unacceptable, but it is an abomination to the Lord ( Prov 15:8 )

— All these images illustrate the shallow hypocrisy of people making sacrifices to God but with no more remorse than someone offering their child as a sacrifice

— Might refer to those who offered sacrifices at the 2nd temple

— Or, those who continues to offer sacrifices(Herod’s temple) after the one true Sacrifice had been offered

— John 12:38 expressly applies Isa 53:1 to the unbelief of the Pharisees (Young)

— God will judge these (4)

( 66:4 ) So will I choose their delusions

They chose their path - their delusions

— They made their choice, now I will make mine

— They took what course pleased them, now I will make what course pleases me

Matthew Henry

— It was because they had chosen their own ways, the ways of their own wicked hearts, and not only their hands did but their souls delighted in their abominations

— They were vicious and immoral in their conversations, chose the way of sin rather than the way of God’s commandments, and took pleasure in that which was provoking to God; this made their sacrifices so offensive to God, ch. 1:11–15

— Those that pretend to honour God by a profession of religion, and yet live wicked lives, put an affront upon him, as if he were the patron of sin

— And that which was an aggravation of their wickedness was that they persisted in it, notwithstanding the frequent calls given them to repent and reform; they turned a deaf ear to all the warnings of divine justice and all the offers of divine grace: When I called, none did answer, as before, ch. 65:12

— They did evil before my eyes. Being deaf to what he said, they cared not what he saw, but chose that in which they knew he delighted not

— They chose their own ways, therefore, says God, I also will choose their delusions

— They have made their choice , and now I will make mine; they have taken what course they pleased with me, and I will take what course I please with them

— I will choose their illusions, or mockeries (so some); as they have mocked God and dishonoured him by their wickedness, so God will give them up to their enemies, to be trampled upon and insulted by them

— Or they shall be deceived by those vain confidences with which they have deceived themselves

— God will make their sin their punishment; they shall be beaten with their own rod and hurried into ruin by their own delusions

— God will bring their fears upon them, that is, will bring upon them that which shall be a great terror to them, or that which they themselves have been afraid of and thought to escape by sinful shifts

Those who have chosen their own way > Sudden destruction, instantaneous glory (66:5-14)

( 66:5-14 ) Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: “Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, That we may see your joy.’ But they shall be ashamed.” 6 The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies! 7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. 8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children. 9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God. 10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; 11 That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.” 12 For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” 14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies.

— The prophet, having denounced God’s judgments against a hypocritical nation, that made a jest of God’s word and would not answer him when he called to them, here turns his speech to those that trembled at his word, to comfort and encourage them; they shall not be involved in the judgments that are coming upon their unbelieving nation ( Henry )

“Trembles at My Word” appears in ( 5 )

( 66:5 ) Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word

— It becomes a title for a true believer

— You find it in Ezra 8, Ezra 10, Psalm 119, Proverbs 13:13

— Jesus affirmed this in John 14:15-18

John 14:15–18 NKJV

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

— If you obey My Word

— If you tremble in awe and respect of My Word the spirit will come and live in you. And I will live in you as well

— The word of God has comforts in store for those that by true humiliation for sin are prepared to receive them

( 66:5-6 ) Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: “Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, That we may see your joy.’ But they shall be ashamed.” 6 The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies!

Q: How would those who tremble at God’s word be treated? How would God respond (vv5-6)?

( 66:5 ) Your brethren - the hypocrites in the church

Matthew Henry

— Enemy believers of the Word of God

— How the faithful servants of God were persecuted: Their brethren hated them

— The apostles were Jews by birth, and yet even in the cities of the Gentiles the Jews they met with there were their most bitter and implacable enemies and stirred up the Gentiles against them

— Pilate upbraided our Lord Jesus with this, Thy own nation have delivered thee unto me, Jn. 18:35

—Those enemies sarcastically say, Let the Lord be glorified

— In the end, they will be ashamed because the Lord’s judgment will fall

( 66:6 ) the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies!

Q: What unnatural thing does the Lord predict in verses 7-10? What is the meaning?

( 66:7-9 ) She had a child and then labor

— She had a child and then pain

2 lessons

1. No birth can come until labor pains have occurred (7,8)

2. When labor comes birth follows (9)

The point is:

— Israel’s suffering will end with a delivery

— The Lord will not impose travail on the remnant without bringing them into the kingdom (10)

—From that old Zion there will suddenly come forth a seed, the Gentiles who will enter the household of faith

— (cf. Luke 24:47; Acts 3:26; 13:46; 18:6; Rom. 1:16; 2:10 and note in particular Acts 15:1ff.)

( 66:10 ): Rejoice … Love … Mourn

— Rejoice with Jerusalem

— In the present, the call is to identify with Jerusalem; love, rejoice, mourn

— Be fully committed, involved with the earthly church

( 66:11 ) Isaiah compares Jerusalem to a nursing mother - her overflowing abundance is (Lit.) the nipple of her glory

— Children of God infants, warmed in their mother’s bosom

— Israel now and in the future will be a self-contained system of total supply

Q: How would God treat the people and how does He illustrate this in vv12-14?

Peace

( 66:12 ) Peace like a river

And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream

— All that was lost in disobedience will be restored

A mother

( 66:13 ) A comforting mother

( 66:14 ) The remnant will know the Lord’s peace

— The evil doers will know the Lord’s vengeance

Those who have chosen their own way > Sudden destruction, instantaneous glory > Judgment on those who follow cults (66:15-17)

( 66:15-17 ) For behold, the Lord will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by His sword The Lord will judge all flesh; And the slain of the Lord shall be many. 17 “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,” says the Lord.

Q: What punishment will the Lord bring and to whom (15-17)?

( 66:15 ) Punishment - Fire

( 66:16 ) Judge all flesh

— Those who fight against the Lord when He comes to establish His kingdom (Rev 19:21)

( 66:17 ) Those who sanctify themselves for idol worship will be judged

Those who have chosen their own way > Sudden destruction, instantaneous glory > Judgment on those who follow cults > The Lord’s world-wide people (66:18-24)

( 66:18-24 ) “For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord. 22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “So shall your descendants and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

( 66:18 ) The Lord knows the motivations behind those who were apostate

— He will gather them all in Jerusalem because that is where Messiah is

Q: What would the nations do according to 19-21?

( 66:19 ) Those who escape are the faithful remnant

— They escaped their enemies and the judgment of God (16)

— God will send the remnant to the Gentiles (Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tubal, Javan)

— They will hear of God’s glory from the faithful remnant

Outreach

The clearest text of the NT missionary outreach

— But this will happen in the millennium

( 66:19a ) Sign - can only be the cross

( 66:19 ) I will send to the nations...And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles

( 66:20 ) Fulfillment is the same as John 11:52 - all the Jews from the dispersion would be gathered together into the kingdom of God (43:5)

— In a wider sense, both Jew and Gentile are now in the church (Eph 2:11-18)

Q: What will people do in the new Heavens and new Earth (22-23)?

— Where the NT ends (Rev 21:22)

— ( 66:22 ) Never ending existence

— ( 66:23 ) All flesh will worship the Lord during the 1,000 year kingdom

— Then, the battle of Gog and Magog and the Great White Throne judgment

Q: The last question. Then Isaiah concludes his prophecy on a strange note. What is it (24)?

( 66:24 ) A vision of Hell, all those who opposed God

— Jesus referred to the valley of Gehenna, never ending pain of the lost (Mark 9:47,48)

— worm … fire. Jerusalem’s garbage dump becomes symbolic of perpetual punishment and anguish (30:33 note; Mark 9:47, 48)

— As Jesus taught, there will be a final separation of the righteous and the wicked, the one going to everlasting joy and the other going to everlasting torment (Matt. 13:24–30, 47–50)

Matthew Henry

— What notice shall be taken of it. Those that worship God shall go forth and look upon them, to affect their own hearts with the love of their Redeemer, when they see what misery they are redeemed from

— As it will aggravate the miseries of the damned to see others in the kingdom of heaven and themselves thrust out (Lu. 13:28), so it will illustrate the joys and glories of the blessed to see what becomes of those that died in their transgression, and it will elevate their praises to think that they were themselves as brands plucked out of that burning

Closing

— When Isaiah is read in the synagogue worship, the next to last verse is repeated after the last verse so as not to end on such a grim note

Additional Resources

J Vernon McGee Isaiah 61:2 – 62:12 https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-6126212-756195.html

J Vernon McGee Isaiah 63: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-63-756196.html

McGee Isaiah 64:1 - 65:2: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-641652-756197.html

McGee Isaiah 65:3 - 66:24: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-6536624-756198.html

McGee Isaiah 60 https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ttb/isaiah-60.html

Chuck Missler Isaiah 60-62: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR02T1bQUSE

Missler Isaiah 63-66: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYPiHpi-OsM

John MacArthur, Humble Hearts are Heaven’s Home (Isaiah 66:1-2): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-316/humble-hearts-are-heavens-home

Henry, Matthew, and Leslie F. Church. Commentary on the Whole Bible: Genesis to Revelation. Zondervan Pub. House, 1961.

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