# Isaiah 66 📖: God's Final Glory [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Isaiah Overview]] | [[Isaiah 65]] | [[Jeremiah 01]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) [[#Verse 01.]] This is what the Lord says: “The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where then is the house you will build for me? Where is the place where I will rest? [[#Verse 02.]] My hand made them; that is how they came to be,” says the Lord. “I show special favor to the humble and contrite, who respect what I have to say. [[#Verse 03.]] The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; the one who offers incense also praises an idol. They have decided to behave this way; they enjoy these disgusting practices. [[#Verse 04.]] So I will choose severe punishment for them; I will bring on them what they dread, because I called, and no one responded. I spoke and they did not listen. They did evil before me; they chose to do what displeases me.” [[#Verse 05.]] Listen to the Lord’s message, you who respect his word! “Your countrymen, who hate you and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name, say, ‘May the Lord be glorified, then we will witness your joy.’ But they will be put to shame. [[#Verse 06.]] The sound of battle comes from the city; the sound comes from the temple! It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies. [[#Verse 07.]] Before she goes into labor, she gives birth! Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy! [[#Verse 08.]] Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen this? Can a country be brought forth in one day? Can a nation be born in a single moment? Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons! [[#Verse 09.]] Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord. “Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?” asks your God. [[#Verse 10.]] “Be happy for Jerusalem and rejoice with her, all you who love her! Share in her great joy, all you who have mourned over her! [[#Verse 11.]] For you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. [[#Verse 12.]] For this is what the Lord says: “Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river, the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. You will nurse from her breast and be carried at her side; you will play on her knees. [[#Verse 13.]] As a mother consoles a child, so I will console you, and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.” [[#Verse 14.]] When you see this, you will be happy, and you will be revived. The Lord will reveal his power to his servants and his anger to his enemies. [[#Verse 15.]] For look, the Lord comes with fire, his chariots come like a windstorm, to reveal his raging anger, his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. [[#Verse 16.]] For the Lord judges all humanity with fire and his sword; the Lord will kill many. [[#Verse 17.]] “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice—they will all be destroyed together,” says the Lord.  [[#Verse 18.]] “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; they will come and witness my splendor.  [[#Verse 19.]] I will perform a mighty act among them and then send some of those who remain to the nations—to Tarshish, Pul, Lud (known for its archers), Tubal, Javan, and to the distant coastlands that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.  [[#Verse 20.]] They will bring back all your countrymen from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers.  [[#Verse 21.]] And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.  [[#Verse 22.]] “For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain.  [[#Verse 23.]] From one month to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people will come to worship me,” says the Lord.  [[#Verse 24.]] “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, and the fire that consumes them will not die out. All people will find the sight abhorrent.” ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Stephen quotes 66:1-2 in his defense before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:49-50). 2. The sacrifices compared to murder and idol worship in 66:3 show that ritual without obedience is worthless. 3. Zion giving birth before labor pains (66:7-8) pictures God's sudden and miraculous restoration. 4. God comforting like a mother (66:13) is one of several maternal images for God in Isaiah (42:14; 49:15). 5. The Lord coming with fire and chariots like a whirlwind (66:15) is a picture of His coming in judgment. 6. Tarshish, Put, Lud, Tubal, and Javan (66:19) represent distant nations from Spain to Greece and Asia Minor. 7. God says He will take some from the nations as priests and Levites (66:21), a remarkable promise. 8. Paul describes his ministry to the Gentiles as an offering to God (Romans 15:16), similar to 66:20. 9. Jesus quotes 66:24, their worm will not die and the fire will not be quenched, when warning about hell (Mark 9:48). 10. In synagogue readings, 66:23 is traditionally repeated after 66:24 so that the book ends on a note of worship. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the greater temple where God dwells (66:1-2; John 2:19-21). He looks to the humble and contrite who tremble at His word, and He gathers all nations to see His glory (66:18; Matthew 28:19). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Heaven is God's throne and earth His footstool, so what house could we build Him? (66:1). What does this say about how we approach God? 2. God looks to the one who is humble, contrite, and trembles at His word (66:2). How can we cultivate that posture? 3. God comforts His people like a mother comforts her child (66:13). How have you experienced God's tender comfort? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 2: God looks with favor on the humble and contrite who tremble at His word. - 📖 verse 13: As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. - 📖 verse 22: The new heavens and new earth will endure, and so will your descendants and your name. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Acts 07#Verse 48.|Acts 7:48-50]] - Heaven is My throne. - 🔗 [[John 04#Verse 21.|John 4:21-24]] - Worship in spirit and truth. - 🔗 [[Mark 09#Verse 43.|Mark 9:43-48]] - Where the worm does not die. - 🔗 [[Revelation 21#Verse 01.|Revelation 21:1-4]] - God dwelling with His people. - 🔗 [[2 Corinthians 01#Verse 03.|2 Corinthians 1:3-4]] - The God of all comfort. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[Isaiah 66 - SOAP|How You Approach God Matters]] ## 📂 Internal Notes