Isaiah 66 · The Lantern

Heaven Is My Throne

Thus says the LORD: The heavens are my throne, and the earth is the footstool of my feet. Where is the house that you would build for me, and where is the place of my resting?

And all these my hand has made, and all these came to be — the utterance of the LORD. And to this one I look: to the afflicted and stricken of spirit, and the one who trembles at my word.

Let us therefore, brethren, be of humble mind, laying aside all haughtiness, and pride, and foolishness, and angry feelings; and let us act according to that which is written (for the Holy Spirit saith, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, neither let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in the Lo…

In these terms God rejects the worship that was restricted to one place and shows that he is the maker of heaven and earth, and the shaper of all things and the one who has no need of a temple made with hands... I have a true house and holy temple. It is whoever arranges his or her life according to my laws and fears and trembles at transgressing my commands.

And he gives a useful remedy: but to whom shall I have respect, but to him that is poor and little, that is, the humble man, who reckons himself to be little, as to the present, and of a contrite spirit, concerning his past sins, and that trembles, as to his intention of doing future things: the eyes of the Lord are towards them that fear him (Sir 15:20[19]).

One who slaughters an ox strikes down a man; one who sacrifices a sheep breaks a dog’s neck; one who brings up an offering — the blood of a pig; one who makes a memorial of frankincense blesses iniquity. They too have chosen their own ways, and in their detestable things their soul delights.

He is angry with them, saying by Isaiah, "Who has required these of your hands?" And by Jeremiah, since they were very bold, he threatens, "Gather together your whole burnt offerings with your sacrifices, and eat flesh, for I did not speak to your ancestors or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."…

By these words he rejected the worship prescribed by the law by teaching this; it was for their sake that he had established this legislation from early times, not because he took pleasure in their sacrifices but because he was exercising forethought for them in their weakness.

Second, he excludes the confidence that they took from their rites of sacrifice. And first, he sets out their rejection: he that sacrifices an ox, is as if he slew a man, as if to say: their sacrifices are so abominable, as if they were doing something against the law, because they were offering them to idols; as if he should bless, praise and venerate, an idol, above: offer sa…

I too will choose their mistreatments, and their terrors I will bring upon them; because I called and there was none answering, I spoke and they did not hear, and they did what is evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.

Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for the sake of my name, have said, Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your gladness — but they themselves will be ashamed.

(Verse 5) Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word. Your brothers who hate you and cast you out because of my name have said: Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy; but they will be put to shame. LXX: Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word.

"Your brothers who hate you." Consider them as your brothers, he says, even though they hate you because of your faith, and lead them to the fear of God, so that "the Lord may be glorified in you." According to Henana, consider them to be execrable and evil, he says, even though they are your brothers by nature.

Hear the word of the Lord. Here he describes the manner of execution of the sentence. And first, as to the rewards of the good; second, as to the punishments of the wicked: and the hand of the Lord shall be known (Isa 66:14). The first of these is divided into two.

A sound of uproar from the city, a sound from the temple, the sound of the LORD repaying recompense to his enemies!

Rejoice with Jerusalem

Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before a pang came to her, she was delivered of a male.

Now that that parturition was polluted, and stood not in need of expiatory victims, Isaiah is our witness, who proclaims distinctly to the whole earth under the sun: "Before she travailed," he says, "she brought forth before her pains came, she escaped, and brought forth a man-child." Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things?

Again Isaiah teaches that Jerusalem will not be destroyed root, branch and all. For when he foretold the complete captivity of Jerusalem, he mentioned those chosen to survive. For a not insignificant number will be saved, obviously through faith in Christ—and he wants to make this clear. But the Jews were enraged with him and killed the prince of life.

Second, he describes the promise as to abundance of goods. And first, as to the reuniting of the people, setting out the promise, before she was in labor, she brought forth; that is, the children of Jerusalem will be gathered to her suddenly and at the same time, just as if a woman brought forth a child suddenly, without first being in labor, above: the children are come to the…

Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen the like of these? Can a land be brought to birth in one day, or a nation be born in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she gave birth to her sons.

Shall I bring to the point of birth and not bring forth? says the LORD. Or shall I, who bring forth, shut the womb? says your God.

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad in her, all who love her! Be joyful with her in joy, all who mourn over her —

so that you may nurse and be satisfied from the breast of her comforts, so that you may drink deeply and delight yourselves from the abundance of her glory.

For thus says the LORD: See, I am extending peace to her like a river, and the glory of nations like an overflowing wadi; and you will nurse, be carried on the side and dandled on the knees.

So, then, the Holy Spirit is the river, and the abundant river, which according to the Hebrews flowed from Jesus in the lands, as we have received it prophesied by the mouth of Isaiah. This is the great river that flows always and never fails.

And Scripture calls Christ "glory," for the psalmist says about him, "to prepare glory in our land." This entrance is the mystery of the economy in the flesh. Being God by nature, he became man through his incarnation and in such manner came into the world.

Second, he promises an abundant gathering of peace: for thus says the Lord: behold I will bring upon her, so that an overflowing is called, as a river descending with great force comes and does not overflow; and of glory: and as an overflowing torrent, above: your peace had been as a river (Isa 48:18). Third, he promises full reception of comfort.

Like a man whose mother comforts him, so I myself will comfort you; and in Jerusalem you will be comforted.

And you will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will sprout like the grass. And the hand of the LORD will be known to his servants, and his indignation to his enemies.

Final Judgments against the Wicked

For see, the LORD will come in fire, and like the whirlwind his chariots — to return his anger in fury, and his rebuke in flames of fire.

For by fire the LORD enters into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and many will be the slain of the LORD.

Those who consecrate themselves and purify themselves for the gardens, following one in the midst, eating the flesh of the pig and the detestable thing and the mouse — together they will come to an end, the utterance of the LORD.

And I — their deeds and their thoughts! The time has come to gather all the nations and the tongues, and they will come and see my glory.

(Verse 18, 19.) But I come to gather together with all nations and tongues their works and thoughts: and they shall come and see my glory.

Christ makes, as it were, a certain recapitulation of the whole discourse, and of all prophecy through these things, and as in brief and concise terms he announces the things from the beginning to the end, and the power of the economy in the flesh.

But I. Here he describes the manner of separation as to everyone together. And first, he decrees universal judgment: I know their works, and their thoughts, as though judging them for both; I come, in the day of judgment, or the various kingdoms of your enemies destroying also the wicked among you; they shall come, into Jerusalem after your return, either to judgment, or to fai…

And I will set a sign among them, and I will send from them survivors to the nations — Tarshish, Pul and Lud who draw the bow, Tubal and Javan, the distant coastlands that have not heard my report and have not seen my glory. And they will tell my glory among the nations.

"And from them I will send" the sign "to Tarshish, Tubal and Javan," and to all the other cities, which came to help the house of Gog in its fight against Zerubbabel, that is, against Christ, who was symbolized by Zerubbabel, the king of the people in its return from captivity to the land of the inheritance of the Lord.

It is with them [the apostles] that the prophecy found its accomplishment, because it was they who preached the gospel to all nations.

Second, he sets out the summons to judgment: and I will set a sign, the edict of Cyrus, among them, that is, the Jews who were with Zorobabel and the other leaders; to the Gentiles, to the nations whom the Jews had been dispersed; Lydia them that draw the bow, for they are good archers; my glory, which will appear in your liberation, above: he shall set up a sign unto the natio…

And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD — just as the sons of Israel bring the offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.

(Verse 20.) And they shall proclaim my glory among the nations, and they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on carts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord.

For like something consecrated to God, the host of the nations are given over to God's glory, released from all charges through faith and washed from all filth through holy baptism, like a guest's gift, as if given out of the apostolic fervor for God. On that account they rejoice, naming him their joy and crown.

Third, he sets out the preparation of those to be judged. And first, as to the good; second, as to the wicked: and they shall go out, and see (Isa 66:22). The first of these is divided into two parts.

And also from them I will take for the priests, for the Levites, says the LORD.

(Verse 21) Just as the sons of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will take from among them priests and Levites, says the Lord. LXX: Just as the sons of Israel offer their sacrifices to me with Psalms in the house of the Lord; and I will take from among them priests and Levites, says the Lord.

"And I will take from them priests and Levites." From whom? This is not yet so clear, meaning either those sent to call them out from the nations or from those who were thus called out. For the divine disciples served through Christ as priests.

Second, the exaltation of their return, first, as to their worthiness: and I will take of them to be priests, which was literally fulfilled in the Jews, and also in the apostles, above: you shall be called the priests of the Lord: to you it shall be said: you ministers of our God (Isa 61:6).

For as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making stand before me — the utterance of the LORD — so your seed and your name will stand.

(Vers. 22, 23.) For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make to stand before me, saith the Lord: so shall your seed stand, and your name. And there shall be month after month, and sabbath after sabbath: all flesh shall come to adore in my sight, saith the Lord.

This is the immovable hope that Christ promises in all goodness to those who love him and who acknowledged his epiphany. As it says, "When I remake the heaven and the earth, I will allow them to remain, and no passing of time will destroy them." So your seed and your name will stand before me.

Second, as to the preservation of their seed: for as the new heavens, as above, so shall your seed stand (Isa 65:17), forever: if these ordinances shall fail before me, says the Lord: then also the seed of Israel shall fail (Jer 31:36); or the saints will stand eternally renewed as heaven and earth.

And it will be that from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh will come to bow down before me, says the LORD.

And they will go out and look on the corpses of the men who transgressed against me; for their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched, and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.

And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

These misfortunes piled on the Jews are meant to be the things we say happened to them at the hands of the Romans, when the temple was destroyed and all were subjected to cruel slaughter. For suffering such things they became a spectacle for all, but their suffering was not prolonged indefinitely.

And they shall go out. Here he sets out the following judgment as to the wicked. And first, the manifestation of the punishment: and they shall go out, coming to Jerusalem, and see, in the ancient sepulchers, and in the fields, the bones of their dead fathers, above: their slain shall be cast forth, and out of their carcasses shall rise a stink (Isa 34:3); or the saints will se…

Isaiah66

Heaven Is My Throne

Rejoice with Jerusalem

Final Judgments against the Wicked