Isaiah Chapter 66 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Isaiah 66:1
"Heaven is my throne," says ADONAI, "and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house could you build for me? What sort of place could you devise for my rest?
In this opening verse we see that God currently has a limited connection with this creation as he is seated in heaven and the earth is merely a footstool but his desire is to have a much closer relationship with us.
Isaiah 66:2–4
Didn't I myself make all these things? This is how they all came to be," says ADONAI. "The kind of person on whom I look with favor is one with a poor and humble spirit, who trembles at my word. Those others might as well kill a person as an ox, as well break a dog's neck as sacrifice a lamb, as well offer pig's blood as offer a grain offering, as well bless an idol as burn incense. Just as these have chosen their ways and enjoy their disgusting practices, so I will enjoy making fools of them, and bring on them the very things they fear. For when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they did not hear. Instead they did what was evil in my sight and chose what did not please me."
The word that is translated here as humble is actually a word that speaks of being disabled and we see that the type of person that God looks upon with favor is the one who recognizes the power of the creator and is not comfortable or at peace with the current state of this fallen world. We also see that this person of favor respects the word of God and takes it very seriously allowing it to change their life. In contrast to those who God favors, we see that the religious activities of those who do not have this recognition of God and his word combined with the disabled spirit are seen as detestable in the eyes of God. We see that that this group are those that follow their own ways and they are an abomination in God's sight. Because of this, we see that God says that he is going to bring about what they fear the most.
Isaiah 66:5–6
Hear the word of ADONAI, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers, who hate you and reject you because of my name, have said: 'Let ADONAI be glorified, so we can see your joy.' But they will be put to shame." That uproar in the city, that sound from the temple, is the sound of ADONAI repaying his foes what they deserve.
From this passage, we see that these two groups are referring to the Jewish people as it speaks of them being brothers and we see there is division among them based on whether they accept the work of Yeshua Messiah or not. We see that those who accept Yeshua Messiah will be glorified while those who do not will be put to shame. Instead of being known as his people, those who reject Yeshua Messiah will be known as his enemies and a great noise will be created as God pays them for their works.
Isaiah 66:7–9
Before going into labor, she gave birth; before her pains came, she delivered a male child. Who ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Is a country born in one day? Is a nation brought forth all at once? For as soon as Tziyon went into labor, she brought forth her children. "Would I let the baby break through and not be born?" asks ADONAI. "Would I, who cause the birth, shut the womb?" asks your God.
This passage speaks of how the change in the kingdom will come very rapidly on the appointed day. We see how ridiculous the notion of God stopping this coming of the kingdom is as it is just as ridiculous as a woman stopping giving birth in the middle of the labor.
Isaiah 66:10–13
Rejoice with Yerushalayim! Be glad with her, all you who love her! Rejoice, rejoice with her, all of you who mourned for her; so that you nurse and are satisfied by her comforting breast, drinking deeply and delighting in the overflow of her glory. For ADONAI says, "I will spread shalom over her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried in her arm and cuddled in her lap. Like someone comforted by his mother, I will comfort you; in Yerushalayim you will be comforted."
This passage shows us that a change is coming for the city of Jerusalem as it is transformed from a place where wickedness is rampant to the glorified city of God. We see that this change is for those that mourn over her current situation and that should provoke a question in all of us which is: Are you mourning over the current physical and spiritual state of the city of Jerusalem? We see that this mourning will be replaced by joy when God takes action and his glory is moved into Jerusalem.
Isaiah 66:14–16
Your heart will rejoice at the sight, your bodies will flourish like newly sprouted grass. It will be known that the hand of ADONAI is with his servants; but with his enemies, his fury. For - look! - ADONAI will come in fire, and his chariots will be like the whirlwind, to render his anger furiously, his rebuke with blazing fire. For ADONAI will judge all humanity with fire and with the sword, and those slain by ADONAI will be many.
The people of God will shine while the wrath of God is poured out upon those that have rejected Messiah.
Isaiah 66:17–19
"Those who consecrate and purify themselves in order to enter the gardens, then follow the one who was already there, eating pig meat, reptiles and mice, will all be destroyed together," says ADONAI. "For I [know] their deeds and their thoughts. "[The time] is coming when I will gather together all nations and languages. They will come and see my glory, and I will give them a sign. I will send some of their survivors to the nations of Tarshish, Pul, Lud (these are archers), Tuval, Greece and more distant coasts, where they have neither heard of my fame nor seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory in these nations;
We see that those who attempt to sanctify themselves in their own way by rejecting Yeshua Messiah will be destroyed. At the proper time, God will gather the nations and they will see a sign which is his glory in his judgement. At this time, there will also be some of the gentiles who repent and are used to spread the news of God's wrath and his glory being manifested.
Isaiah 66:20–21
and they will bring all your kinsmen out of all the nations as an offering to ADONAI - on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, on camels - to my holy mountain Yerushalayim," says ADONAI, "just as the people of Isra'el themselves bring their offerings in clean vessels to the house of ADONAI. I will also take cohanim and L'vi'im from them," says ADONAI.
We see that this sign and these gentile survivors will be used to bring more of the Jewish people to accept the work of Yeshua Messiah and enter the millennial kingdom.
Isaiah 66:22–24
"For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will continue in my presence," says ADONAI, "so will your descendants and your name continue. "Every month on Rosh-Hodesh and every week on Shabbat, everyone living will come to worship in my presence," says ADONAI. "As they leave, they will look on the corpses of the people who rebelled against me. For their worm will never die, and their fire will never be quenched; but they will be abhorrent to all humanity." ["Every month on Rosh-Hodesh and every week on Shabbat, everyone living will come to worship in my presence," says ADONAI.]
These people will worship in the millennial kingdom but they will see the bodies of those who are judged for their rejection of the word of God.