Abba: An Aramaic word used as an affectionate term of address to someone’s father. Yeshua used it to refer to God as His Father, and believers in Jesus also use it today to address God as Father. In modern Hebrew, this common name means Dad, Daddy, or Papa (also see Mark 14:36 and Romans 8:15).

Adar: the twelfth month of the Jewish biblical calendar.

Adonai: literally, my Lord, a word the TaNaKh uses to refer to God.

ADONAI: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. ADONAI, however, is more of an affectionate name like daddy (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies. God does not have many names, as seen here and below, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

ADONAI Elohim: This is the Hebrew word for LORD God. This title links Isra’el’s God, the God of the Covenant, with God as Creator of the universe (also see Genesis 2:4; Isaiah 48:16; Psalm 72:18; Luke 1:32; Revelation 1:8).

ADONAI Nissi: the LORD my Banner (see Exodus 17:15; Psalm 20:1).

ADONAI Shalom: the LORD of Peace.

ADONAI Tzidkenu: the LORD our Righteousness.

ADONAI-Tzva’ot: The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (see Joshua 5:13-15; Second Kings 19:31; Psalm 24:10; Second Corinthians 6:18).

Adversary: Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air, and the old dragon.

Afikomen: Literally, “That which comes after.” Piece of matzah that is hidden during the Seder, to be found and eaten after the third cup of redemption.

Amen: At the end of a prayer, this word means, “It is true,” or “Let it be so,” or “May it become true,” indicating that the readers or listeners agree with what has just been said. Although everything Yeshua said was true, “amen” adds special emphasis (also see Deuteronomy 27:25; Jeremiah 28:6; Psalm 41:14; Nehemiah 8:6; Matthew 5:26; Mark 10:15; Luke 23:43; John 10:1).

Anti-missionaries: Today they are Orthodox Jews who champion Jews for Judaism. They do not limit their mischief to harassing missionaries; any Jewish believer is a target. It is unfortunate that so many of these anti-missionaries feel their ends justify certain unethical means. In order to “protect” Judaism, they do or encourage others to do what Judaism condemns. In Paul’s day, they were the Judaizers who wanted Gentile believers to add obedience to the 613 commandments of Moshe, circumcision, and eating kosher to Paul’s salvation equals faith-plus-nothing gospel.

Antinomian: A person who maintains that believers, by virtue of Divine grace, are freed not only from biblical mitzvot and biblical behavior, but also from all moral law.

Ariel: the lion of God, fireplace on God’s altar.

Aviv: the first month of the biblical year, corresponding to the modern Jewish month of Nisan.

Avraham: Abraham

Azazel: a scapegoat or goat demon sent out in the wilderness on Yom Kippur.

Ba’al: the chief male god of the Phoenicians and Canaanites. The word means lord or master.

Bar Mitzvah: Hebrew for “Son of the Commandment.” Although not specifically mentioned in the Bible, it is a Jewish coming of age ritual in which a young man, or Bat Mitzvah for a young woman, chooses to follow the commandments of their forefathers and takes responsibility for their own relationship with the God of Isra’el. This ceremony normally takes place at age 13 for boys or age 12 for girls. Afterwards, he/she is theoretically considered to be an adult, but in modern Judaism this is mostly symbolic, and a twelve-year-old is not treated like an adult.

Beit-Lechem: Bethlehem, the birthplace of David and Yeshua, meaning house of bread.

Bnei-Yisrael: The children of Isra’el.

B’rit Chadashah: Hebrew for the New Covenant. Christians commonly call it the New Testament.

Challah: Challah is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays. Ritually acceptable challah is made of dough from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering.

Chesed: “mercy,” “lovingkindness,” and/or “covenant-loyalty.” It is a complex word that summarizes God’s complex and overwhelming love for His people, going beyond the concepts of love, mercy or kindness all together (also see Isaiah 63:7; Zechariah 7:1; Psalm 13:1; Psalm 86:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; Psalm 136:1).

Clear oil: In the oil pressing process this would have been oil from the first of three or pressings. The first pressing, most likely done by adding one stone weight to a wooden bean which then put pressure onto a bag of olives by being forced downward by the weight, was the one which produced the purest oil. This was traditionally the oil used in the Temple.

Cohen of Ha’Elyon: Priest of the God Most High.

Cohen Rosh Gadol: The Great High Priest who served as the head religious official, the only one to enter the Most Holy Place. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the first man appointed as the Cohen Gadol. In later times, the Cohen Gadol was in charge of the Temple and its administration. The Cohen Gadol Caiaphas, played a key role in questioning Yeshua at His trial. The writer of Hebrews describes Messiah as our great Cohen Gadol, who gives us access to God’s throne in the heavenly sanctuary (also see Leviticus 21:10; Haggai 1:14; Nehemiah 3:1; Matthew 26:57ff; Mark 14:61ff; John 18:19ff; Hebrews 4:14ff and 10:19-22).

Cohen: A priest, a man who offered sacrifices and performed other religious rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Cohanim: The Cohanim were descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. The Sadducees were from the priestly sect of Judaism.

Covenant: Theologically, it speaks of the contractual relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew term is b’rit. Also see B’rit Chadashah, Hebrew for New Covenant (see Genesis 6:18 and 17:2; Jeremiah 31:30; Nehemiah 9:32; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 1:72).

Defile, or tam’ei in Hebrew: This is not a sinful condition, but a condition of life. From this we can see that being tam’ei is merely a state of being unable to participate in the Temple service until cleansed because the person has come into contact with the realm of sin and/or death, not necessarily because the person has sinned himself.

Diaspora, the Dispersion: the scattering of the Jewish people in exile throughout the world. Today almost 7 million Jews live in Isra’el, and over 8 million more Jews live in the Diaspora (also see Isaiah 11:10; John 7:35).

Drash: A drash is a long d’var.

D’var: Is a short talk on topics relating to a parashah, the weekly Torah portion.

Echad: The Hebrew word for “one” or “unity.” Echad is used in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Elyon: A title for God, meaning the Most High God (see Luke 1:35 and 76; Acts 7:48). A longer form is El Elyon, God Most High (also see Deuteronomy 32:8; Isaiah 14:14; Psalm 91:1; Acts 16:17).

Elohim: “God” in general terms, or as Creator. Compared with ADONAI, God’s “covenant name” used especially in His relationship to the Jewish people. Elohim is the plural form of El, also found in the Bible occasionally with the same meaning. Yeshua is sometimes called Ben-Elohim, the Son of God (also see Genesis 2:19; Isaiah 61:11; Matthew 4:3; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 11:4).

El Shaddai: God Almighty

Emissaries: Apostles

God-fearers: These were Gentiles who became convinced that ADONAI was the only true God, they abandoned their paganism and idolatry, but they did not choose to become a proselyte in any form, and hence there was no adoption of Jewish customs or practices (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah).

Goyim: Nations, non-Jews, Gentiles

Gehenna: The word for “hell,” the place of perpetual misery and suffering after this life. It comes from the Greek word Genna and the Hebrew word Gei-Hinnom, which means the valley of Hinnom. There was actually such a valley by that name south of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was used as a garbage dump, and fires were always burning there, making it a suitable picture of life in hell. In Jewish sources, the term is used as the opposite of Gan-Eden, or the Garden of Eden or Paradise (Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43).

Gentiles: A term for individuals or groups who are not Jewish. In Hebrew a common word for Gentile is goy or goyim is the plural form (see Isaiah 8:23; Matthew 10:18; Mark 10:33).

Go’el: Literally, a redeemer, used both for God and of people. In the book of Ruth, go’el means the kinsman-redeemer, a close relative obligated to defend and protect his kin. The go’el could buy back (redeem) land or someone who sold himself into slavery, and could marry a widow in the family in order to protect her future. The human go’el is a picture of God the greater Go’el who protects and redeems us, the members of His family (see Ruth 3:9-12).

Hag ha’Matzah: The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Halakhah: are mitzvot governing Jewish life and comes from the Hebrew root to walk. The rabbis used the term to refer to the legal way to walk out the commandments of the Torah. It can also refer to the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law). A (one) halakhah is a specific ruling given regarding a particular issue, “the halakhah” being the ruling accepted and observed by the Jewish community.

Hametz or Chametz: The Hebrew word for leaven, or yeast, which makes bread rise. God commanded Isra’el not to eat hametz during Passover, Yeshua teaches that both good and evil spread, the same way hametz leavens the whole batch of dough (Also see 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1 Exodus 12:20; Leviticus 7:13; Amos 4:5; Matthew 13:33 and 13:21).

Hanukkah: Meaning dedication, the feast commemorating the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC and the rebuilding and dedication of the Temple after its desecration by Syrian invaders.

Ha’Shem: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. While ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

Hellenist: In the B’rit Chadashah, it refers to Jews who lived in the Diaspora, or had moved to Isra’el from the Diaspora, spoke Greek, and were more Greek in their culture, than traditional Jewish people brought up in Isra’el (Acts 6:1, 9:29, 11:20). For example, Luke was a Hellenistic Jew.

Immerse: To dip the whole body under water as an act of dedication to the LORD, or as a profession of faith in Yeshua. The word is often seen in other translations as “baptize.” The ceremony of dipping is called “immersion” or “baptism.” Yeshua’s cousin was known as John the Immerser (Matthew 3:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20).

Imputation: To reckon or charge to one’s account. When the Spirit gives life (John 6:63a), that means that all the righteousness of Christ is transferred to your spiritual account at the moment of faith. What is true of Messiah is true of you, minus His deity.

Incarnation: The divine revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2) of YHVH becoming one with humanity as an ordinary human being in the person of Yeshua Messiah. He was one-hundred percent man and one-hundred present God. The Triune God knew that the Second Person would come to earth to be subject to numerous evils: hunger, ridicule, rejection, and death. He did this in order to negate sin, and therefore, its evil effects.

Judaizers: Jewish false teachers, who taught that obedience to the 613 commandments of the Torah were necessary to have a relationship with God, and opposed Paul at every turn. Everywhere Paul went, the Judaizers were sure to follow. Once Paul established a church in Galatia, as soon as he left, they would come in and distort the gospel of Messiah (1:7).

Justification: The act of God whereby, negatively, He forgives the sins of believers and, positively, He declares them righteous by imputing the obedience and righteousness of Messiah to them through faith (Luke 18:9-14). It is not a reward for anything good we have done. It is not something we cooperate with God in (in other words, it is not sanctification). It is an utterly undeserved free gift of the mercy of ADONAI (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7). It is entirely accomplished by God, once and for all, at the moment of salvation. It results in good deeds (James 2:14-26) and sanctification over our lifetime.

Kadosh: The Hebrew word for ‘holy.” This term describes the people set apart for God. ADONAI Himself is kodosh (Leviticus 19:1-2). Many letters to Christ’s newly formed communities (churches) address Yeshua’s followers as the Kedoshim (also see Jeremiah 2:3; Nehemiah 8:10; First Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2).

Kedoshim: The holy ones

Kippahs: Known as a yarmulke or skullcap, a kippah is a head covering for Jews. The tradition to wear a kippah does not come from any biblical passage. Rather, it is a custom which evolved as a sign of recognition that there is Someone “above” who watches our every act.

Korban: The root of the word korban, can be translated to bring near. A korban, then, should be defined as something brought near. The reason it is so named is that the person bringing an offering did so in order to be brought near to God. It was a sacrifice or offering dedicated to God, especially to fulfill a vow. If something was to be dedicated to God, it generally could not be used for other purposes. Some Pharisees and teachers of the Torah wrongly used this as an excuse not to provide for their parents in their old age, even though Jewish teaching insisted that the commandment to honor one’s father and mother extended to providing for their physical needs (see Mark 7:11).

Kosher: Kosher foods are those that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut, primarily derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Food that may be consumed according to halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning “fit”.

Levite: Descendants of the tribe of Levi, who served in the Tabernacle and Temple as gatekeepers, musicians, teachers, and assistants to the priests. The scribes, or Torah-teachers, originally came only from among the Levites and were the forerunners of the Pharisees. They later expanded to include members who were from all tribes, with no affiliation with Levi required. (Also see Exodus 4:14; Ezeki’el 48:12; Ezra 1:5; John 1:19).

LORD: When the translators of the King James Bible in the 1600’s came to the Hebrew word YHVH, they needed to distinguish it from the word Lord, meaning master. So, they capitalized it. Therefore, LORD is actually the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH.

LXX (Septuagint): The “official” Greek translation of the TaNaKh, dating from the third century BC through the fourth century AD. The original translation was of the Torah (the five books of Moshe), which the Letter of Aristeas records was allegedly made by seventy Jewish scholars in Alexandria (Egypt) from which it gained its name (Septuaginta). It is commonly referred to by the abbreviation, LXX (70).

Malki-Tzedek: Melchizedek.

Mashiach (Hebrew): Messiah, the Anointed One (Matthew 26:63; Mark 1:1; John 20:31).

Matzah (singular) or Matzot (plural): Unleavened bread, which is made without yeast, eaten especially during the feast of Passover. Also see hametz (also see Exodus 13:6; Leviticus 2:5; Ezeki’el 45:21; Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; John 13:26).

Masoretic Text: The official text of the TaNaKh edited by the Massoretes, or Jewish grammarians, during the sixth to tenth centuries AD. This text is “pointed” with various vowel signs and accents which were lacking in the previous texts.

M’chitzah, the: The middle wall of separation (see the commentary on Acts Cn – Paul’s Advice from Jacob and the Elders at Jerusalem).

Megillah (singular) or Megillot (plural): The five books in the Writings used for special readings during the holidays: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.

Menorah (singular) or Menorot (plural): The seven branched lampstand(s) designed and commanded by God for service in the Tabernacle/Temple (Exodus 25:32; First Kings 7:49; Zechariah 4:2).

Messiah (Greek): Christ, the Anointed One, often used in speaking of a Redeemer sent from God to free His people from exile and oppression (also see Matthew 1:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11 and John 1:41).

Midrash (singular) or Midrashim (plural): allegorical interpretation or application of a text. The listener is expected to understand that the writer of the midrash is not expounding the plain meaning of the text, but introducing his own ideas.

Mikveh: a bath or pool with a flow of fresh water; used in Orthodox Judaism to this day for ritual purification or ceremonial cleansing, performed at various times in a person’s life (see Matthew 3:13 and Titus 3:5).

Mishnah, The: is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions that are known as the Oral Law (see below). 

Mishkan: the Tabernacle, comes from the Hebrew root to dwell.

Mitzvah (singular) or mitzvot (plural): Primarily a commandment from God in the Torah (Deuteronomy 11:22; Second Kings 17:37; Proverbs 6:20; Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6). Today, more modern meaning would be “a good deed,” more broadly, a general principle for living.

Moshe: Moses.

Olam haba: “The age to come,” or “the world to come.” It describes a time after the world is perfected under the rulership of Messiah. This term also refers to the afterlife, where the soul passes after death. It can be contrasted with olam ha-zeh, “this world” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30 and 20:35; Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 6:5; Revelation 20-21).

Omer: Meaning “sheaf,” the bundle of barley used in the Firstfruits offering. After the Temple period it came to be identified with Sefirat ha’Omer, or the counting of the omer, the counting of the days from Firstfruits to Shavu’ot.

Oracle: What are the oracles of God? There are several places in the Bible that mention the oracles of God, which refer to the words of God.

Oral Law: The Oral Law refers to the Talmud, which is a compilation of rabbinic commentaries on the first five books of Moses, called the Torah. The Talmud, completed around 500 AD, consists of the Mishnah and well as commentary on the Mishnah called Gemara (Mishnah + Gemara = Talmud). The tradition grew to include a further compendium called Midrash until about the 12^th century. The rabbis taught that when the Messiah came, He would not only believe in the Oral Law, but He would participate in the making of new Oral Laws (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law).

Pesach: Passover. The Jewish festival commemorating deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In Biblical times Jews used to journey to the Temple, sacrifice lambs there, and eat a special meal commemorating the departure of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. It was one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. Today, Passover is celebrated at home with a special meal called a seder. Yeshua celebrated Passover with His apostles (Matthew 26:18; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; John 13:1).

Pharisees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. The Pharisees had their own views of how exactly to keep Torah. They were especially concerned with ritual impurity and (unlike the Sadducees) they believed in the resurrection of the dead. While the Sadducees were more involved with the Temple, the Pharisees were concerned more with home and synagogue life.

Propitiation: The averting of God’s wrath by means of the substitutionary and efficacious (producing the desired effect) sacrifice (death) of Yeshua Messiah (the atonement). It is the work of Messiah that satisfies every claim of God’s holiness and justice so that Ha’Shem is free to act on behalf of sinners.

Proselytes at the Gate: There were three levels of Gentile relationship to Judaism. After God-fearers and proselytes of the Gate were the second level. The Gate was the middle wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14) in the Temple compound that Gentiles were not allowed to go beyond under penalty of death (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). These were Gentiles who adopted many Jewish practices like celebrating Shabbat and the feast of Isra’el, but did not become a full proselyte. Most of these were men because it didn’t require circumcision.

Proselytes of the Covenant: In the third level of Gentile relationship to Judaism (see above), there were proselytes of the Covenant. They entered into the Covenant of Sinai as a full Jew, so to speak. Most of these were women because this level required circumcision.

Purim: Meaning “lots,” is the holiday based on the story of Esther.

Qumran: A site overlooking the Dead Sea where Jewish sects lived in religious communities from 135 BC to 70 AD and from which we have numerous documents which are frequently referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These texts include partial copies and fragments of most of the biblical books (the only whole copy is Isaiah), apocryphal writings such as Enoch, and texts produced by the community itself (the manual of Discipline and the Thanksgiving Hymns). The texts are referred to according to the number of the cave in which they were discovered (for example, 1Qs [Community Rule], 11Q Temp [Temple Scroll]).

Rasheet: One of several names for the Festival of First Fruits.

Redeemed: Setting free from slavery, buying back something lost, for a price.

Righteous of the TaNaKh: Old Testament believers.

Rosh Ha’Shanah: Hebrew for “Head of the Year.” Known as the Jewish New Year, or the Feast of Trumpets.

Ruach: The Hebrew word for “spirit,” “breath,” or “wind.” Yeshua explains wind and Spirit to Nicodemus in John 3:5-8. Scripture frequently refers to the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, the Holy Spirit (Exodus 35:31; Numbers 11:25; Malachi 2:15; Acts 2:2 and 10:44; Romans 8:4-17).

Ruach Ha’Kodesh: The Hebrew name for the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:11; Psalm 51:13; Matthew 1:20; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:16; John 14:26).

Sadducees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. From the Sadducees came the leading priests who managed the affairs of the Temple. In contrast to the Pharisees, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 16:12; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27).

Sanhedrin: Literally, the gathering of the seated, like being a judge seated on a bench – a legal term for an officiating judge. This was the Supreme Court of ancient Isra’el. It exercised legislative and judicial authority (Matthew 26:59; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 11:47).

Sanctification: To be set apart, specifically, to the holy use and purposes of God. It is a process that takes a whole lifetime. It is the work of God in which you cooperate (Romans 12:1-2; First Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:3-4; First Peter 5:8-9); and is a process Ephesians 4:11-16), trusting in God, apart from whom we can do nothing (John 15:5; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11; Hebrews 2:18 and 4:14). He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).

Septuagint: The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and was presumable made for the Jewish community in Egypt when Greek was the common language throughout the region. It is also called the translation of the Seventy because tradition states that the Septuagint was translated by seventy rabbis. In academia, the Septuagint is often abbreviated as LXX (the Roman numeral for seventy) in honor os this translation.

Shabbat: The Sabbath Day, the seventh day of the week, when work ceases. On this day God’s people are beckoned to rest and renew our relationship with our Creator, who also rested on the seventh day. Shabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown and ends Saturday evening after three stars appear (Exodus 20:10; Nehemiah 9:14; Matthew 12:10; Mark 1:21; Luke 23:56; John 9:14).

Shaddai: A common name for God in the TaNaKh, usually translated as Almighty. The name is often used in a combination such as El Shaddai, or God Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Ezeki’el 1:24; Job 11:7).

Shall be cut off: This phrase may mean that the person is stoned to death, or that he is barred from returning to the Tabernacle or Temple to offer sacrifices. This person would be cherem, literally set apart for destruction, either physically or culturally.

Shaliach: A legal representative, meaning one who is sent.

Shalom: The Hebrew word for peace, wholeness, wellness and true happiness; it is a greeting used when meeting or departing (Genesis 26:31; First Samuel 16:4; Second Chronicles 18:16; Matthew 10:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 1:28; John 14:27).

Sh’khinah: The visual manifestation of the glory of God.

Shavu’ot: the festival of Weeks (Hebrew) or Pentecost (Greek), since it comes seven weeks after Pesach; also called Pentecost, from the Greek word for fifty because one counts fifty days after Passover. It is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. It originally celebrated the harvest, but later commemorated the day God gave the Torah to Isra’el. After Yeshua’s resurrection, the disciples waited for God’s gift of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, which also came on Shavu’ot (Exodus 34:22; Second Chronicles 8:13; Acts 2:1 and 20:16; First Corinthians 16:8).

Sh’ol: The Hebrew equivalent of the Greek “Hades,” the place where the dead exist.

Shofar: A ram’s horn, used in the Bible for summoning armies, calling to repentance, and in other situations. Blasts of various lengths and numbers signified different instructions. Metal trumpets were also used for similar purposes, but exclusively by the cohanim. Today, the shofar is used on Rosh ha-Shanah of Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days. The shofar also ushers in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9-10; Zechariah 9:14; Matthew 24:31; First Corinthians 15:52; First Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Sinai: the mountain in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el.

Shuwb: turn, turning, and the big idea of Jeremiah.

Son of Man: A name that Yeshua commonly used to refer to Himself. It comes from Dani’el 7:13-14, in which the Son of Man is given all authority. This name sometimes emphasizes Yeshua’s humanity and sometimes His deity (Matthew 9:6; Mark 9:31; Luke 21:36; John 6:27).

Sukkot: the festival of Booths or Tabernacles, celebrating the forty years when the people of Isra’el lived in booths, tents, shacks, in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el. The Hebrew word sukkah means booth and sukkot is the plural and means booths. Sukkot is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim (Leviticus 23:34; Zechariah 14:16; Second Chronicles 8:13; Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33).

Synagogue: A place of assembly for Jews for hearing the Torah, praying and worshipping God. There were many synagogues throughout Isra’el and the Greco-Roman world (Matthew 4:23; Mark 5:22; Luke 4:16; John 9:22).

Syncretism: Perversion of the Gospel occurs when aspects of the world are blended with it. Syncretism believes that there are many paths to God, like the hub of a wheel with many spokes protruding out from it. So you have a Mormon spoke, a Hindu spoke, a Buddist spoke, an Islam spoke, and a Jehovah Witness spoke, each leading to God. But Yeshua contradicted this saying: No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

Tabernacle: A temporary dwelling, such as the booths constructed during Sukkot. It is also used in the TaNaKh of the tent in which God dwelt among the Jewish people, both in the wilderness and in the land of Isra’el. When the word is used as a verb, it refers to Yeshua coming to dwell among His people (John 1:14), reminding us of the wilderness Tabernacle and also of the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 25:9; First Chronicles 6:17; John 1:14 and 7:2).

Talmid (singular) or Talmudim (plural): Student or students.

Talmud: The codified body of Jewish Oral Law; includes literary creations, legends, scriptural interpretations, comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara.

Tamid, the (Hebrew: continual) offering was a regular daily feature in the Temple service. Each morning a one-year-old male lamb without defect was sacrificed as a regular burnt offering. One lamb was offered in the morning to make atonement for the sins of the night and the other lamb was offered in the afternoon to make atonement for the sins of the day.

TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T for “Torah“, N for “Nevi’im” (Prophets), and K for “Ketuv’im” (Sacred Writings). It is a collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. This term is used instead of the phrase, “the Old Testament,” which sounds “old” and outdated.

Terumah: The gifts offered by the Israelites for the inauguration of the Tabernacle (Mishkan). Portion of gift offerings, of slaughter offerings, which were allocated to the priests.

Torah: Literally, this Hebrew word means teaching or instruction (Exodus 13:9; Isaiah 2:3; Psalm 1:2; Matthew 5:17; Mark 1:22; Luke 24:44; John 7:19; Romans 7:1ff; First Corinthians 9:20-21; Galatians 3:21). It can be used for the five books of Moshe, or more generally to God’s commandments, or the whole TaNaKh (John 10:34). Uncapitalized, torah can be understood generally as a law or principle (Romans 7:21-8:2).

Torah-Teacher: A Torah scribe engaged in interpreting and transmitting the Torah. They wrote Torah scrolls, bills of divorce, and other legal documents. The Hebrew term is sofer.

Tree of Life: The tree at the center of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9, 3:24), the source of eternal life. Scripture points to a future in the B’rit Chadashah, with access to the Tree of Life. In the meantime, the Torah is like the Tree of Life to those who embrace her, and blessed will be all who hold firmly to her (Proverbs 3:18 also see Revelation 2:7, 22:2 and 14).

Tzedakah: Is a Hebrew word meaning righteousness, but commonly used to signify an ethical obligation to do what is right, and is commonly used to signify charity.

Tzitzit: A fringe that was put on a garment in accordance with Numbers 15:37-41.

Tziyon: Zion, Mount Zion, was originally the City of David, south of the modern Old City of Yerushalayim. Later the name Tziyon came to refer metaphorically to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, or the people of Isra’el. The hill now called Mount Tziyon was given its name in the fourth century AD (Isaiah 1:27; Psalm 65:2; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

Yarmelkes: see Kippah.

Yeshivah: The Hebrew word yeshivah comes from the word that means sit and it signifies a place for learning Torah. The Greek word schole, which gives us the English word school means lecture hall. No English word really comes close to the real meaning of yeshivah, but the Yiddish word shul, or school, comes the closest.

Yeshua: The Hebrew name for our Messiah, known in English as Jesus, and is a masculine form, and a word play on yeshu’ah (salvation) (Matthew 1:21; Mark 6:14; Luke 2:21; John 19:19).

Yerushalayim: Jerusalem.

Y’hudah: Judah.

YHVH: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the Name, the four-letter name of God. Therefore, God does not have many names, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

Yisra’el: Isra’el.

Yochanan: John.

Yom ha’Bikkurim: One of several names for The Feast of Firstfruits.

Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the close of the High Holy Days, and considered the holiest day of the year in traditional Judaism.

Worship the LORD, Not Idols
44: 6-20

Worship the LORD, not idols DIG: What are the ways that God claims to be unique? What titles and descriptions does the LORD use of Himself? What does each mean? In what ways is He different from the idols in 44:12-20? For what reason is idolatry mocked in these verses? In what ways do those who worship idols end up like the idols themselves?

REFLECT: What idols have people in our culture created for themselves? Why are people attracted to these false gods? With which ones do you struggle? How have you seen these false gods end up oppressing those who make them? Karl Marx said that “religion is the opiate of the people” to drug them into ignoring reality. How might the prophet agree with him? How do the modern forms of idolatry do that? How might worshiping God end up being an idol itself? How is true worship of the LORD different? How is the irony of 44:15-17 reflected in the modern forms of idolatry? In what way have you experienced that following these modern idols merely ends in futility?

Even though the world does its best to deny it, ADONAI controls human history. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13). And because He controls history, what has happened to Isra’el was neither a surprise to Him nor against His will. The Israelites would eventually go into captivity during Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s lifetime for one reason alone: their broken Covenant with God. By the same token, His uniqueness meant that the god of Israel’s enemies could do nothing to prevent Him from delivering His people at the moment He chose to do so. In fact, their far eschatological deliverance had already been foretold (44:3-5). To all of this, Isra’el had been a witness, not only to what had already happened, but what would happen. Her entire existence, past, present and future could only be explained by the uniqueness of the LORD. This section is the high point of that entire argument.

The section begins with a brief, pointed summary of ADONAI’s absolute claims. The message that Israel’s King and Go’ali, or Redeemer, the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB) wants to convey is that there is no one who can even be compared to Him. I Am the first and the last; apart from Me there is no God (44:6). It is not that He is merely the greatest of all the gods, but that in comparison to Him, there are no other gods. To make His point, in descending order from the most universal to the most specific prophecy, He declares Himself to be the God of eternity, history, and prophecy.

First, He is the God of eternity. I am the first, or the beginning of human history, and I am the last, or the end of human history. Three times in Isaiah, ADONAI calls Himself the first and the last (41:4; 44:6 and 48:12). When we get to Chapters 49 to 57, the key personality in those chapters is the Messiah, the Servant of the LORD, especially the Suffering Messiah. However, in Revelation, Jesus Christ is no longer suffering; He is the glorified Son of Man. And three times in the book of the Revelation He reiterates: I am the first and the last. The context of all three Revelation statements (Revelation 1:17; 2:8 and 22:13) are the same as the I am the first and the last in Isaiah.

Secondly, He is the God of history. Who then is like Me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before Me what has happened since I established My ancient people, and what is yet to come – yes, let him foretell what will come (44:7). God had previously said that Isra’el was a witness to the truth of His claims about what would happen in the future (43:12), and He is about to say it again in the next verse. Therefore, He alone has established them as a people and nation. He alone has declared what is yet to come and no idol can match Him.

Thirdly, He is the God of prophecy. God had predicted all of the major events that took place in the Israelites own history. As a result, they should not tremble or be afraid. Their faith will not be misguided, God will not abandon them, Babylon will not devour them, and the ancient promises will not fall to the ground. Isaiah’s own ministry was all to that end. When all the guarantees of the exile had come horrifyingly true, alongside stood these detailed assurances, equally old, that the exile would not be the end; Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me (44:8a)? The word God, here, is the singular eloah, the only time it is used in the book. The intention must be to stress the singleness of this one and only God.

To all the world Isra’el will be a living witness to the fact that God had predicted all of this far in advance, and that He held the power to make His promises come true. No, there is no other Rock; I know not one (44:8b). Just as He had predicted their exile, at the same time He was predicting their unheard-of return. One hundred and fifty years after Isaiah’s death the people would be able to testify, “Yes, God told us all of it, curse and blessing, long before any of it happened. He alone is God. There is no other.”¹⁶⁷

The Achilles’ heal of all paganism is idol making. And the line of reasoning used by the inspired prophet to expose it is detailed and devastating. Those who make idols are witnesses to the senseless character of their supposed gods. In 40:18-20 and 41:5-7, idols were exposed by contrasting them to the holiness of ADONAI. But here that argument is reversed, the glory of God is seen in contrast to the absurdity and uselessness of idols. Instead of logical refutation of idol worship, Isaiah appeals to our imagination to drive home the final nail of persuasion. Thus, when he finished his sarcastic illustration, it is simply unthinkable to compare those chunks of wood and stone to the Holy One of Isra’el (43:3).

Then ADONAI turned to the idols themselves as witnesses. What kind of evidence could they produce that they are supreme? The remaining verses in this section answer that question. In painful detail Isaiah describes how the idol worshipers built their idols. How can something made with human hands ever save anyone? More than that, those who bow down to the work of their own hands reduce themselves to nothing. They only worship themselves.

Without any fanfare the prophet bluntly states his theme. All who make idols are nothing. The word nothing, or tohu, in Genesis 1:2 is translated formless chaos. Pagan mythology asserted that the function of the gods was to maintain order against the constant onslaught of chaos. But Isaiah asserts that far from finding order, the gods create chaos. And the things they treasure are worthless. They cannot help anyone. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame (44:9). The witnesses of the idols become nothing through their alliance with the gods who are nothing. They have created a lie and are part of that lie.

Once again we find Isaiah simply mocking the idols by using Jewish humor. Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing (44:10)? It’s as if Isaiah asked the question, “Why do you spend all your time making false gods? You are a fool. You don’t make a god; God made you!” Rabbi Saul would agree: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one (First Corinthians 8:4b). There is nothing behind the visible idol because there is only one God. But, on the other hand, the idol holds the idolater in an iron grip from which he cannot save himself (44:20b). To this, Paul would also agree: indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords” (First Corinthians 8:5), and, at the deepest, horrible level, that the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God (First Corinthians 10:20a). The meaningless and dead idol has a grim power to make its devotee like itself. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them (Psalm 115:8). The craftsmen will be put to shame because they are nothing but men. If only they would take their stand, or stop and take an honest look at what they were doing, they would be terrified (44:11).

The Holy Spirit makes the point there that the idols made of wood and metal are the creation of mere man. Isaiah illustrates how mundane the process is. There is a lot of humor here if you can understand what is behind the scenes. Isaiah picks out three different occupations that made idols. He takes us step-by-step from the end of the process to the beginning, showing in each stage how ridiculous it is for humans to make gods. First, the blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. But if he gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint (44:12). The emphasis here is on the weakness of man. If he does not eat or drink, man is weak. Yet as weak as man is, depending on sources outside of himself (like food and drink), here he is making little gods for himself. Can a weak man make a strong god? No. A weak man will make an even weaker god.

Secondly, the carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of man, of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine, literally dwells in a house (44:13). What kind of a god is it? The kind that needs a house in which to live, a roof over its head to keep out the rain, and four walls to keep the thief out. The emphasis here is on subjectivity because the carpenter fashions the idol to look nice or beautiful. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So the carpenter makes an idol that is beautiful to him. But not matter what their intent; the result of human effort cannot rise about the human. Unfortunately, we have not progressed beyond this today. The religion of humanism is only an abstract form of this age-old effort. Whether implicitly or explicitly, the world today says, “We will be God and God will be us.” Some spend their lives and their money trying to discover “the God within,” and that effort ends up being just as futile as the blacksmith’s, the carpenter’s.

Thirdly, the emphasis is on the one who cuts down the trees in order to make an idol. He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow (44:14). The opening infinitive seems to serve Isaiah’s retrospective thinking. It states the purpose of the planting. Just as sheep were raised specifically for sacrifice, trees were planted specifically for idolatry. The devotee went out to chop the tree down. Out of it he made his idol, yet the tree needed to be sustained by rain or it would die. How could it be a god if it had no control over its existence?

With relentless repetition Isaiah now hones in on the final irony. How can a log, part of which was burned for human need, become a god that demands human obedience? The prophet’s reaction to the gods is much the same as Paul’s some seven hundred years later. They are nothing. Idols lack the power to bless or to defile: Since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill (see my commentary on Acts, to see link click Cb – An Unknown God in Athens).

It is man’s fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it (44:15). Isaiah is saying that those stupid idols are made up of the same materials used in the most trivial domestic tasks. What an origin for a god! Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire” (44:16). So this guy goes out and cuts down for himself a big tree. Part of the tree he uses as a fire to warm himself with. Another part of the tree he uses for smaller wood to cook and bake on.

From the rest he makes a god, his idol; be bows down to it and worships; He prays to it and says, “Save me; you are my god” (44:17). The repetitive nature of the verbs here; bows down, worships, prays, points us to the apparently endless rituals of the pagans (Matthew 6:7-8). He cuts up the rest of the tree and makes a god out of it. So, the god is made out of the same wood he just used to warm himself with, and to cook with. What a stupid thing to worship. What a dumb thing to make gods out of. That is the irony here. They make gods out of the same things they use in the most trivial domestic tasks. It could not warm them, it could not cook their food, and it could not help them or save them. In reality, it could do anything for them. ADONAI was calling Israel’s attention to how absurd idolatry really is.

Many of us give ourselves to those things that take us away from God. These things do not help us, they don’t lift us up. They don’t bring us joy, and it is a fact that they can never save us. John warns us: Dear children, keep yourselves from idols (First John 5:21). Whatever captures the human heart and mind as an alternative to Jesus Christ, whatever it is, is an idolater.

Isaiah has argued at length that the reason ADONAI can deliver His people is that He was created by them, is not an extension of them, and does not exist to serve them. In short, He is not one of the many gods made by human hands. As a result, He is the only One who can deliver them. Isaiah says that the maker of these idols does not see the obvious contradiction. They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over with mud so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand (44:18). The intellectual level of the idolater is so low that he is quite incapable of applying the most rudimentary principles of logic to his absurd conduct.

Those who resist the LORD are steadfast in their belief system. It is useless to argue with them because they merely become more entrenched in darkness. It is only by the Spirit of God and the Word of God that they can see the light of the Gospel. Without realizing it, their eternal destiny is at stake. Like a rock climber without a safety rope reaching for a piece of rotten granite, a wrong choice is not merely a mistake when one’s whole life depends on it. According to Isaiah, those are the stakes depending on our decision about the nature of God. As much as the world doesn’t want to see or hear it, there is only one solution to the riddle of the universe and its meaning. There is only one God, and you are not Him. It is foolishness to rest your eternal destiny on a piece of wood! Eternity is a long time.

No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even bakes bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate shall I make a detestable thing from what is left: Shall I bow down to a block of wood” (44:19)? This is a devastating analysis of the fallen mind. You cannot use a piece of wood to burn and then call that same piece of wood god. Then ask it: Save me, you are my god (44:17b). The fallen mind cannot understand: The man without the indwelling Holy Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (First Corinthians 2:14).

The idolater feeds on ashes (44:20a). Here Isaiah uses one of his favorite metaphors, but in a much different way than usual. Everywhere else in the book, the world feeds is used to suggest the peacefulness and plenty that we associate with the picture of a flock of sheep quietly feeding on grass. It may also refer figuratively to the Holy ones in the far eschatological future (Deuteronomy 33:2-3; Job 5:1; Psalm 16:3 and 34:9; Zechariah 14:5). But here he intentionally uses it as a contrast. Instead of the rich green grass of the pasture, or the plenty of the Messianic Kingdom, the idolaters are seen trying to scavenge for food in a field that has been burned to ashes. Such is the reality of the worship of the world (John 2:15-17).

A deluded heart misleads him (44:20b). Just common logic should have told this idolater that something was wrong. Instead, he suffers from total self-deception. The result of this self-deception is not deliverance, but sin. The very opposite of what was hoped for when the idol was made. The Hebrew, misleads him, can also be translated makes him sin because the verb used has the basic sense of missing a target, which lies behind the idea of sin. The idolater misses the target because he refuses to admit to himself that he is spiritually helpless and cannot make the first move toward God. He cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie” (44:20c)? He is holding onto it, but just as assuredly, it is holding onto him. He is hooked on idolatry and does not understand its futility. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of Christ (Second Corinthians 4:4).

But because the natural man and woman is spiritually dead and without any hope (First Corinthians 2:14), ADONAI made the first move toward us. So when the appointed time arrived, God sent forth His Son. He was born from a woman, born into a culture in which legalistic perversion of the Torah as the norm, so that He might redeem those in subjection to this legalism and thus enable us to be made God’s sons. Now because you are sons, god has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of His Son, the Spirit who cries out, “Abba” (that is, Dear Father)! So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son you are also an heir (Galatians 4:4-7 CJB).

Woe to the Assyrian, the Rod of My Anger
10: 5-11

Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of  My anger DIG: The Assyrian army conquered all the cities listed here en route to Jerusalem. What attitudes did those victories produce in the Assyrian leaders? Why do they think Yerushalayim ought to be a relative “pushover”? What does this show about their deep misunderstanding of the Lord?

REFLECT: When have you taken the credit for what was really God’s work in which you were merely an instrument? How do you visibly practice giving credit when credit is due? Would you rather be “instrumental” in someone else’s judgment, or be on the receiving end of that judgment? Why? What conclusions can be drawn about the LORD’s justice as it concerns the prosperity of the wicked?

Assyria was entrusted with a mission to execute divine judgment, but she abused it. Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of My anger, in whose hand is the club of My wrath! (10:5). YHVH did give Assyria a commission. The word woe is an expression of angry indignation. It is used to introduce a proclamation of judgment on a person, group, or a nation. Ultimately, Isaiah is saying that it was not Assyrian might that destroyed the northern kingdom of Isra’el, it was the chastisement of God Himself. It is God who controls the nations, and He had chosen that particular time in history to use Assyria as the rod of His anger against Isra’el. But Assyria was only a rod of judgment in His hand. Assyria came against the northern kingdom of Isra’el in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign, and she came against the southern kingdom of Judah in His fourteenth year.

In this ironic note, God said that He would send Sennacherib (to see link click Bv – The Kings of Assyria and Judah) against a godless nation. Saying: I dispatch him against a people who anger Me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets (10:6). Without doubt, the Jews considered the Assyrians to be a godless nation. Yet, Isaiah had the nerve to suggest that the Assyrians were God’s tool to punish them, and in fact, they were the godless nation! How could this be? Well, relatively speaking, Judah was more godless than Assyria, because she had more revelation from God. She had rejected more light of the Scriptures. Who were the chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2)? Who was the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10)? Who had the Torah to guide them (20:1-26)? If Judah’s moral state was still higher than Assyria’s, it was also true that she had a much higher standard. Jesus said it this way: From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:48b).

Although God clearly commissioned Assyria to punish Isra’el, her boasting ultimately led her to overstepping her commission. But the king of Assyria wanted more than to merely punish Judah. This was not what YHVH intended, this is not what He had in mind; His purpose was to destroy, to put an end to many nations (10:7). Did Assyria know that she was being used by God to punish Judah? Yes! Sennacherib sent his supreme commander to bargain with her. Part of his lecture said: Have I come to attack and destroy this place without ADONAI’s approval? ADONAI himself told me to march against this country and destroy it (Second Kings 18:25 CJB). It is clear that Assyria recognized that she had been commissioned by God to punish Judah for her sins. But she overstepped her commission.

Therefore, when Assyria tried to destroy Judah, it was not because of the divine commission. On the contrary, Assyria acted in sheer self-interest and lust of conquest. They assumed that Isra’el and Judah were like any other nation. Assyria violated a principle contained in Zechariah who said: but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity (Zechariah 1:15). God was a little angry with Isra’el and He allowed the Gentiles to come in. But because they overstepped and went beyond what He intended for them, God was greatly angry with them.

Isaiah now speaks for the Assyrian king. The Assyrians boast of successes in the past and confident assurance of easy victories in the future. The officers in Sennacherib’s army had more authority and responsibility than most other kings, and Sargon II liked to say: Are not my commanders all kings (10:8)? Who was Hezekiah to the king of kings? Therefore, he viewed his commanders as kings, because they had more authority and responsibility (in his eyes) than the leaders of the countries he had conquered.

Then the Assyrian king boasted: Has not Calno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus (10:9)? Thus, from Carchemish (that fell in 717 BC) on the Euphrates in the far north of Palestine to Calno (that fell in 738 BC), and from Arpad (that fell in 740 BC) fifty miles to the south to Hamath (that fell in 738 BC) a hundred miles north of Damascus, then on to Damascus (that fell in 732 BC) itself and then on to Samaria (that fell in 722 BC) just north of Judah, his armies had proved invincible. One by one these cities fell with little or no resistance, and the Assyrian king Sennacherib was thinking the same would happen to Jerusalem.

But then Sennacherib, king of Assyria, really made a big mistake. With heavy irony, Isaiah seemingly overhears the king saying: As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria – shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols (10:10-11)? He thought that since other gods, who, in his eyes, were greater than the God of Samaria and Jerusalem, did not prove to be any hindrance to Assyria, what could the God of Samaria and Yerushalayim do to Him? The Assyrians had subdued Marduk, Hadad, Baal and El. And if he were able to destroy the idols of Samaria, since Samaria worshiped the same God as Tziyon, he would be able to destroy Tziyon. He did not think that Yerushalayim would be any more difficult to conquer than any of the other countries, Judah’s God than any other god. But how wrong he was! He knew that both Samaria and Tziyon worshiped the same God, but he did not understand that Samaria’s worship had degenerated into sinful idolatry of the golden calves. And although the Holy City had also been corrupted, the believing remnant (10:16-34) worshiped the proper way in the Temple at Jerusalem. He thought that since ADONAI was unable to help Samaria, what could He possibly do to help Yerushalayim? That was his big mistake, and as such, Assyria would be punished.

Bibliography

Barker, Kenneth. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.

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Coleman, Lyman. The Serendipity Bible for Groups, New International Version. Littleton: Serendipity House, 1988.

Craigie, Peter. The Problem of War in the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.

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Erickson, Millard. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983.

Feinberg, Charles Lee. The Prophecy of Ezekiel. Chicago: Moody Press, 1969.

Freedman, David Noel. The Anchor Bible Dictionary – Volume 5. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

Freeman, James. Manners and Customs of the Bible. Plainfield: Logos International, 1972.

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold. Rosh Hashanah: The Feast of Trumpets. Tustin: Ariel Ministries, 1986.

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold. The Footsteps of the Messiah. Tustin: Ariel Ministries, 1982.

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold. The Three Messianic Miracles, Manuscript Number 35. San Antonio: Ariel Ministries, 1983.

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold, The Feast of the Passover, Manuscript Number 114. Tustin, Ariel Ministries, 1986.

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Fruchtenbaum, Arnold, Isaiah Tape Series, Tustin: Ariel Ministries, 1990.

Geisler, Norman. A Popular Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977.

Gonzalez, Julio. The Story of Christianity, Volume 2. San Francisco: Harper and Row Publishers, 1985.

LaHaye, Tim. Charting the End Times. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2001.

LaSor, Hubbard and Bush. Old Testament Survey, The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982.

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MacArthur, John. Matthew 1-7. Chicago: the Moody Bible Institute, 1985.

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Oswalt, John. The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.

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Oswalt, John. The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.

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End Notes

Chapter 1

1 A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, by Norman Geisler, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1977, page 243.

2 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 73-74.

3 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James M. Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 249.

4 Roman Catholicism, by Loraine Boettner, The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, 1962, pages 289 and 291.

5 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 80.

6 Ibid, page 80.

7 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1036.

Chapter 2

8 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James M. Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 149.

9 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 108.

Chapter 3

10 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James M. Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 249-250.

11 Ibid, page 254.

12 Ibid, page 254.

13 Ibid, page 255.

Chapter 5

14 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 119-120.

15 The New International Commentary on the Book of Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 165.

16 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James M. Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 255.

Chapter 6

17 Themes From Isaiah, by Ronald Youngblood, Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1984, page 19.

18 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 10045.

19 Themes From Isaiah, by Ronald Youngblood, Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1984, page 24.

20 The New International Commentary on the Book of Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 189.

21 Ibid, page 190.

22 Themes from Isaiah, by Ronald Youngblood, Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1984, page 20.

Chapter 7

23 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1046.

24 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 142.

25 The New International Commentary on the Book of Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 197.

26 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 145.

27 Ibid, page 146.

28 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, page 255.

29 The New International Commentary on the Book of Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, pages 215-216.

Chapter 8

30 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1050.

31 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 155-156.

Chapter 9

32 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 162.

33 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 245.

34 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1503.

35 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 168-169.

36 Ibid, page 169.

37 Ibis, page 169.

Chapter 10

38 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 182.

Chapter 11

39 Messiah’s Coming Temple: Ezekiel’s Prophetic Vision of the Future Temple, by John Schmitt and J. Carl Laney, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997, pages 141-152.

40 Charting the End Times, by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2001, pages 86-87.

Chapter 12

41 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 194-195.

42 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 293.

43 Ibid, page 294.

Chapter 13

44 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 299.

45 Charting the End Times, by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2001, page 104.

46 The NIV Application Commentary, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 202-203.

47 The Problem of War in the Old Testament, by Peter Craigie, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1978, page 35.

Chapter 14

48 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 168-169.

49 Ibid, pages 212-213.

50 Ibid, pages 219-220.

Chapter 16

51 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 227-228.

52 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 256.

Chapter 17

53 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 353.

54 The NIV Application Commentary, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 353.

55 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 357.

Chapter 18

56 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 237.

Chapter 19

57 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1066.

58 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 376.

59 Ibid, page 377.

60 Ibid, page 380.

61 The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Volume 5, David Noel Freedman editor-in-chief, Doubleday, New York, New York, 1992.

62 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 381.

Chapter 20

63 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 256.

64 Ibid, page 386.

Chapter 21

65 Isaiah, by Alec Motyer, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Inter Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1999, page 163.

66 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 258 and 261.

67 Ibid, page 147.

68 Ibid, pages 270-271.

69 Ibid, pages 43-44.

Chapter 22

70 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 265-266.

71 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 258.

72 Ibid, page 256.

73 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 268.

74 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 262-263.

75 Ibid, page 263.

76 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 268-269.

Chapter 23

77 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 276-277.

78 Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries on Ezekiel, by John Taylor, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1969, page 189 and 195.

79 The Prophecy of Ezekiel, by Charles Feinberg, Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1969, page 159.

80 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 432.

81 Ibid, page 437.

Chapter 24

82 Snatched Away, by Chuck Smith, Maranatha House Publishers, Costa Mesa, California, 1976, pages 7-9.

83 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 114.

84 Ibid, page 263.

Chapter 25

85 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 463.

86 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 264.

87 Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 7, Isaiah, by Franz Delitzsch, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1983, page 440.

Chapter 26

88 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 303-304.

89 Christian and Muslim Dialogue, by Muhammad A. Nubee, page 33.

90 Ibid, pages 34-35.

91 Charting the End Times, by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2001, pages 91-92.

92 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 470.

Chapter 27

93 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 497.

94 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 312-313.

95 Charting the End Times, by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2001, pages 86-87.

96 Rosh Hashanah: The Feast of Trumpets, by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, Tustin, California, 1986, page 17.

Chapter 28

97 Roman Catholicism, by Loraine Boettner, The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, New Jersey, 1962, page 104.

Chapter 29

98 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 266.

99 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 333.

100 Ibid, pages 332-333.

Chapter 30

101 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 351-352.

102 Ibid, pages 348-349.

103 Ibid, page 351.

104 Old Testament Survey, The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament, by LaSor, Hubbard and Bush, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1982, pages 449-450.

105 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 349.

106 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 212-213.

107 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 349-350.

108 Ibid, page 356.

109 The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, pages 566-567.

Chapter 31

110 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 359-360.

Chapter 32

111 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 581.

112 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 137.

113 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 369-370.

Chapter 33

114 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 226.

115 Ibid, pages 366-367.

116 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Ontario, Canada, 1986, page 1084.

Chapter 34

117 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, pages 607-608.

118 The Bible Almanac, edited by James Packer, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1980, page 213.

119 Interpreting Isaiah, by Herbert Wolf, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1985, page 165.

120 Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 7, Isaiah, by Franz Delitzsch, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1983, page 73.

121 Interpreting Isaiah, by Herbert Wolf, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1985, page 167.

Chapter 35

122 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 395-395.

123 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 146.

124 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 662.

125 The Three Messianic Miracles, Manuscript Number 35, as taught on the radio by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 1983.

126 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, pages 1085-1086.

Chapter 36

127 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 147.

128 Themes from Isaiah: A Bible Commentary for Laymen, by Ronald Youngblood, Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1984, page 106.

129 Ibid, page 101.

130 “The Ancient Near East,” by James Pritchard, Volume 1, 1958, pages 199-201.

131 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, pages 149-150.

Chapter 37

132 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 643.

133 Ibid, page 643.

134 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 150.

135 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 659.

136 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 231-232.

137 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 153.

138 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 267-268.

139 Ibid, page 297.

140 Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 17, Jacob Safra, Chairman of the Board, “Plague: Clinical Characteristics of the Human Disease,” 1966, page 1155.

Chapter 38

141 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 672.

142 Ibid, page 673.

143 Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 7, Isaiah, by Franz Delitzsch, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, pages 461-462.

144 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, by John Walvoord and Roy Zook, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 578.

145 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 155.

146 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 433-434.

147 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 304.

148 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 691.

Chapter 39

149 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 1-39, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1986, page 673.

150 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 203.

151 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 438.

Chapter 40

152 The Fundamentals – Volume 1, by Professor George Robinson, The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 1917, page 241.

153 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, pages 160-161.

154 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 268.

155 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 57.

156 A Bible Commentary for the Layman: Themes from Isaiah, by Ronald Youngblood, Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1984, page 114.

157 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 454-455.

158 Interpreting Isaiah, by Herbert Wolf, Academie Books, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1985, page 187.

Chapter 42

159 Messianic Christology, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, Tustin, California, 2001, page 46.

Chapter 43

160 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 484-485.

161 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 153.

162 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 492-494.

163 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 178.

164 The New International Commentary on Isaiah, 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 161.

165 Ibid, page 162.

Chapter 44

166 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 506-507.

167 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 172-173.

168 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Illinois, 1996, pages 166-167.

169 Ibid, pages 181-182.

Chapter 45

170 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 200.

171 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 350-351.

172 Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 7, Isaiah, by Franz Delitzech, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1983, page 221.

173 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 221.

174 Ibid, page 225.

175 Themes From Isaiah, A Bible Commentary for Laymen, by Ronald Youngblood, Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1984, page 122.

Chapter 46

176 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 531.

177 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 270-271.

178 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, 237-238.

Chapter 47

179 Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Isaiah, by Alec Motyer, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1999, pages 334-335.

180 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 241.

181 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1101.

Chapter 48

182 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 259.

183 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 538.

184 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, pages 190-191.

Chapter 49

185 Christian Theology, by Millard Erickson, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1985, page 424.

186 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 292.

187 Ibid, page 292.

188 Ibid, page 300.

189 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 196.

190 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 556.

191 Ibid, pages 557-559.

192 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 272.

193 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 309.

Chapter 50

194 Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ, by Albert Edersheim, William Eerdman’s Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, reprinted 1984, pages 3-4.

195 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 171.

196 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 319.

197 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 197-198.

198 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 329.

Chapter 51

199 Themes From Isaiah, by Ronald Youngblood, Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1984, page 138.

200 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 335.

201 Themes From Isaiah, by Ronald Youngblood, Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1984, page 138-139.

202 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 571.

203 Christian Theology, by Millard Erickson, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1983, pages 197-198.

204 Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries – Isaiah, by Alec Motyer, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1999, page 364.

205 Christian Theology, by Millard Erickson, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1985, page 207.

206 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, pages 200-201.

207 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 348-349.

208 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 577.

Chapter 52

209 The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the New Testament, by John Walvoord and John Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1106.

210 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 273-274.

211 The Book of Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 370.

212 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 274.

213 The Story of Christianity, Volume 2, by Justo Gonzalez, Harper and Row Publishers, San Francisco, California, 1985, pages 112-113.

214 The Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah According to Jewish Interpreters, Edited by Professor Harry Orlinsky, translated by S. R. Driver and A. D. Neubauer, KTAV Publishing House, Inc., New York, New York, 1969 (first published in 1877), pages 429-435 and 450-451.

215 The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1985, page 1107.

216 Evangelism: A Biblical Approach, by Michael Cocoris, The Church on the Way, Los Angeles, California, 1992, page 142-146.

Chapter 53

217 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 382-383.

218 Life of Christ Tape Series, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Tustin, California, 1990.

219 Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 7 Isaiah, by Franz Delitzsch, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1983, pages 319-320.

220 Matthew 8-15, by John MacArthur, the Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1987, page 19.

221 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 389.

222 Evangelism: A Biblical Approach, by Michael Cocoris, The Church on the Way, Los Angeles, California, 1992, pages 142-146.

223 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1985, page 1109.

Chapter 54

224 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 598-599.

225 The Footsteps of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, Tustin, California, 1982, pages 401-404.

226 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 419.

227 Ibid, page 422.

228 Charting the End Times, by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2001, pages 70 and 91.

Chapter 55

229 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 436.

230 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, pages 602-603

231 Ibid, pages 603-604.

Chapter 56

232 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 366-367.

233 The NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 609.

Chapter 57

234 The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1112.

235 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 107.

Chapter 58

236 The NIV Application Commentary, by John Oswalt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003, page 627.

237 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 507.

Chapter 59

238 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 227.

239 The Footsteps of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, Tustin, California, 2004, pages 247-248.

Chapter 60

240 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 542-543.

241 Revelation 12-22, by John MacArthur, Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, 2000, pages 219-220.

242 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 550-551.

Chapter 61

243 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 233.

244 Charting the End Times, by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2001, pages 23-24.

245 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 571-572.

246 Ariel Ministries Newsletter, by Rita Lipsey, Tustin, California, “Clothed in White Garments,” Spring 2005, page 5.

Chapter 62

247 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, pages 577 and 595.

248 Ibid, page 580.

249 Ibid, page 581.

250 Ibid, page 584-585.

Chapter 63

251 Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, pages 459-460.

252 Charting the End Times, by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2001, page 63.

253 The Footsteps of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, Tustin, California, 2004, pages 309 to 357.

254 The New International Commentary on Isaiah 40-66, by John Oswalt, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, page 614.

Chapter 65

255 Matthew 24-28, by John MacArthur, Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1989, page 117.

256 The Footsteps of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, Tustin, California, 1984, page 340.

Chapter 66

257 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, page 247.

258 The Footsteps of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, Tustin, California, 1984, pages 475-480.

259 The Message of Isaiah – The Bible Speaks Today, by Barry Webb, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996, pages 245-246.

260 The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1986, page 1121.

From One New Moon to Another,
All Mankind Will Bow Down Before Me
66: 22-24

From one new moon to another, all mankind will bow down before Me DIG: What clear distinction does this passage make? What is the status of the Jews and believing Gentiles during the Great Tribulation? Why are the dead bodies of unbelievers visible in both Babylon and Edom? Do they die? What are they examples of? Why do they find themselves in the state they are in? Who do they symbolize? Why would this be good news for the believing remnant at the end of the Great Tribulation?

REFLECT: God had made a promise to the children to Abraham (Genesis 15:5). But the sin of Isra’el and the pride of the world rulers made it seem as if even God could not keep His promises. However, ADONAI is greater than human sin and human pride. He is the faithful Covenant Keeper, El Shaddai, God Almighty (Genesis 17:1). The very work that the LORD has begun in you, He will finish (Philippians 1:6). As you look back on your life, what evidence of this have you seen?

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el; therefore, He gives a vision of the Messianic Kingdom and her position in it.

In these final three verses the link between judgment and hope reaches its final climax. Here the issues of the book come to light in their clearest simplicity. For Isaiah, ADONAI is the sole Creator. He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth . . . He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in (40:22). He created the first heavens and earth, and He will recreate them at the beginning of the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom).

There is no other deity; all others are merely imposters who cannot make good on their promises (17:7-8). Just as there are only two families in the world (the family of God and the family of Satan), just as there are only two kinds of spiritual food (angel’s food and devil’s foot), there are only two categories of people on the earth; those who fall down before the LORD and worship Him, and those who are fool-hearty enough to rebel against Him. There are only two fates awaiting mankind. Those who worship ADONAI will live forever, their seed and their name secure. But those who defy Him will be tormented forever.

ADONAI says three things about the society of the Messianic Kingdom. First, He describes the status of the Jews in the Kingdom. “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure” (66:22). Isra’el will have the same permanence, eternal security and assurance as the new creation herself. She will no longer find herself suffering, no longer find herself expelled, no longer find herself a foreigner to the Promised Land, but shall dwell permanently there in peace. God’s purposes and promises for Isra’el are as eternal as the new heavens and the new earth.

Secondly, He describes the status of the believing Gentiles in the Kingdom. “From one New Moon to another all mankind will come and bow down before Me,” says the LORD (66:23). The Gentiles who accepted Yeshua Messiah as their Lord and Savior before their hundredth birthday (65:20) will worship God in the Kingdom. There will be monthly worship, weekly Sabbath worship, and the festivals of Pesach, Unleavened Bread (Ezeki’el 45:21) and Shavu’ot (Zechariah 14:16-19) will be observed as well. Worship will not be confined to specific days, but will be continuous. The redeemed (see the commentary on Exodus Bz – Redemption) of all ages will worship ADONAI throughout all eternity. That will be the most engaging and important aspect of eternity.

Now everyone in the Kingdom will be able to see God face-to-face and live. This was the goal for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; this is why ADONAI met Abraham in Ur of the Chaldeans; this is why He spoke to Moses from the burning bush; this is why the Servant of the LORD, Jesus Christ, came to live and die and rise again. His enduring sacrifice made it possible for Him to proclaim the Good News to the brokenhearted, the captives, and prisoners (61:1), so that every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9c), could worship the one true God.

Thirdly, He describes the status of the wicked. The dead bodies of unbelievers will be visible in both Babylon (see Dk – Babylon, the Jewel of Kingdoms, will be Overthrown), and Edom (see Gi – Edom’s Streams Will Be Turned Into Pitch). And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me (66:24a). The reason that the wicked have no peace (48:22 and 57:21) is because their bodies will be burned, but will not be consumed. They will face continuous torment for all eternity where their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched (Isaiah 66:24b; Mark 9:48). And my friend, eternity is a long time. There will be no peace, no contentment, and no God.

They will be loathsome to all mankind because they are examples of rebellion against the LORD and unbelief concerning ADONAI (66:24c). The Hebrew word loathsome is a very special word only used twice in the entire TaNaKh. This is one time and the other time is in Dani’el 12:2, emphasizing the ugly state that the wicked will find themselves in because they have failed to accept the grace, mercy, and salvation that was clearly offered to them. Babylon and Edom will be perpetual burning wastelands throughout the Messianic Kingdom period. The wages of sin is certainly death (Romans 6:23). While Satan is confined in the abyss during the Millennium, all demons are divided and confined in these two areas on the earth. Whoever has ears, let them hear (Matthew 11:15).

There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked (57:21). Like gravity, this is an axiom of life. In contrast with the abundant peace promised to the righteous, unrest like that of a troubled sea with its mire and dirt is the lot of the wicked. Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14 is an excellent illustration of this fact. There is no rest for the wicked in this life, and there will be no peace in the next life. Each of the three-fold messages (That Her Warfare Had Been Completed – 40:12 to 48:22; That Her Sin Had Been Pardoned – 49:1 to 57:21; and That She Had Received from the Lord Double for All Her Sin – 58:1 to 66:24) ends with one verse that describes the state of the wicked, and that is what we have here. And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind (66:24).

This awesome way in which the majestic book of Isaiah concludes points to the need for unrepentant people to turn to the LORD, the only God, the Holy One of Isra’el.²⁶⁰ We must always remember the greatness of our salvation and the terrible fate from which we have been saved. What can we do but thank ADONAI and worship Him! Amen.

Those Who Survive
Will Proclaim My Glory Among the Nations
66: 18-21

Those who survive will proclaim My glory among the nations DIG: Throughout Isaiah, God has shown his concern for all the Gentile nations. How does that concern culminate in these verses? How does ADONAI’s gathering of His people in 58:1-8 parallel ADONAI’s gathering of His people in 66:18-24 (see the chiastic structure on Jj – My House Will Be Called a House of Prayer for All Nations)? What was so shocking to the Jews about the Gentiles being priests? When Isaiah mentions those who survive, who is he talking about?

REFLECT: What types of people do you find it hard to reach out to or care about? Why? What does this vision of the evangelism of Gentiles by Jews say to you about the loving purposes of the LORD for those hard to love people? How might you reflect that love for them this week? What hope is held out for you that such efforts are not useless?

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el; therefore, He gives a vision of the Messianic Kingdom and her position in it.

There has been a progression from the new creation (65:17), to a new City (65:19), to a new society (65:20) and finally, to a new house (66:1). It is no surprise, therefore, that Isaiah bring his far eschatological prophecy to a close with a new worshiping people. This time the nations of the world will gather together, not to destroy Isra’el, but to see God’s glory. This is something He pointed out earlier. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD, the visible manifestation of ADONAI, His Sh’khinah glory, rises upon you (60:1). The nations of the world are attracted by Isra’el’s glory and come to see it. When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him (Matthew 26:31-32a).

And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all the Gentile nations and tongues, and they will come and see My Sh’khinah glory (to see link click Ju – The Glory of the LORD Rises Upon You) (66:18). The prophet says that there will be evangelism of the Gentiles by Jews during the Messianic Kingdom. The faithful remnant, those who survived (see the explanation below) the Great Tribulation, will be sent to the Gentile nations to evangelize them.

God says: I will set a sign among the Gentile nations (66:19a). Isaiah does not specifically say what the sign is, but since the context is between the two comings of Messiah, the sign can only be the cross. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed (Revelation 15:4). The truth that ADONAI alone is holy (Revelation 15:4b), is often repeated in the TaNaKh (First Samuel 2:2; Psalm 22:3, 99:5, 111:9; Isaiah 6:3 and 57:15; Habakkuk 1:12).

The Great Commission started with the TaNaKh (see the commentary on Genesis Dt – I Will Bless Those Who bless You, and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse). When Yeshua Messiah came, He reinforced what the LORD had already said to Abram: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have committed you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:16-20). When ADONAI says to the faithful remnant at the end of the Great Tribulation: And I will send (66:19b), He will merely be continuing what He had spoken through Abram and Matthew. His heart for lost Gentiles had not changed (Hebrews 13:8). At the end of the seven years of Tribulation, you would think that the millions of Gentiles who would literally see Yeshua Messiah return to earth, see Him personally kill the antichrist (Second Thessalonians 2:8), and reign from the messianic Temple in Jerusalem, would be open to the Gospel. So Jews are sent all over the world to evangelize them.

In an effort to underline the universal nature of the appeal, the names or places representing the outermost places of the earth are given here. God said that He would send some of those who survive to the nations – to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians, to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of My fame or seen My glory (66:19c) Among the nations He lists is Tarshish. There are several cities known by this name; one was in England, one was in Spain, one was on the northern coast of Africa, and one was on the eastern coast of Africa by the Red Sea. We are not told which Tarshish Isaiah means here. He mentions the Libyans in northern Africa (Genesis 10:6) and the Lydians in western Asia Minor. Lydia is one of most antagonistic states against Isra’el today, but the day is coming when the Jews will be evangelizing in Lydia. Tubal is in Russia and is called Tobalsk (Genesis 10:2; Ezekiel 27:13, 32:26, 38:2-3). And Greece is mentioned (Genesis 10:2, Ezeki’el 27:13) as well as distant nations of the far-away islands to whom the Jews will reach out. The purpose of their evangelism is to proclaim God’s glory among the Gentile nations (66:19b).

The prophets enjoyed using the expression the remnant that escapes (KJ), those among them who escape (NKJ), or those who survive to signify the last remnant of Isra’el prior to the Second Coming. They used this phrase to identify the believing remnant that escapes or survives the final attempt to annihilate them. This is all Isra’el that will be saved (Romans 11:26) at the end of the Great Tribulation. Here are several examples:

In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped (NKJ Isaiah 4:2).

And it shall come to pass in that day that the faithful remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Isra’el, in Truth (NKJ Isaiah 10:20).

And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a believing remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this (NKJ Isaiah 37:31-32).

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors, whom the LORD calls (NIV Joel 2:32).

But on Mount Zion will be those that escape; they will be holy, and the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance (NIV Obadiah 17).

God declares: And the Jews will bring all their Gentile brothers, from all the nations, to My holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to ADONAI – on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels (66:20). This description is impressionistic with the prophet using the language of his day to describe what he is being told. Some commentators say that these primitive means of transportation point to the return from the Babylonian Captivity; however, the high point in theology of the TaNaKh is the Messianic Kingdom, not the return from the Babylonian Captivity. When Isaiah gets to the climax of his book, he is emphasizing the return of Messiah and the setting up of His holy Kingdom. So this must be figurative language. No distance of difficulty will be able to stand in their way. The Jews will bring the Gentiles to Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD. The tribulation Temple of the antichrist was unacceptable to God, but the Millennial Temple will be pleasing to Him (see Db – The Nine Missing Articles in Messiah’s Coming Temple).

Lastly, notice that the LORD will select some of the Gentiles to be priests in the Temple (66:21). This message from Yeshua has to be shocking to the Jews living at the end of the Great Tribulation. How could ADONAI let those Gentiles who had hunted them down, and were the very enemies of God Himself, be priests in the Temple! Then they will probably remember the sheep Gentiles (see the commentary on Revelation Fc – The Sheep and the Goats)! It will be of the same thinking as saying a eunuch or foreigner could also be a servant of God (56:5-6). Why, if a Gentile could become a priest in the Temple, then they could not be excluded from anything! Exactly. This flies in the face of the teaching of the Torah, but since the Millennium will not operate under Torah (see the commentary on Revelation Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom), some Gentiles will function as priests in the Millennial Temple (Eph 3:6). Thus, showing that all the nations will be blessed through Isra’el. God declares: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Gen 12:3).

See, the LORD is Coming with Fire,
and His Chariots are Like a Whirlwind
66: 15-17

See, the LORD is coming with fire, and His chariots are like a whirlwind DIG: What is God’s purpose in ending this book with this final warning? How will the chariots of fire affect unbelievers? The faithful remnant? How is the rebuke for the wicked and promises to the faithful in 56:9 to 58:14, parallel to the rebuke for the wicked and promises to the faithful 65:1 to 66:17 (see the chiastic structure in Jj – My House Will Be Called a House of Prayer for All Nations)? In what sense is the LORD jealous? Is that good or bad?

REFLECT: What form of idolatry would you like to see destroyed today? Do you feel sad or happy when you read these verses? Do believers need to be concerned about the judgment of God (Rom 8:1)? The Bible teaches that with fire and with His sword God will execute judgment. How comfortable are you with the judgment of God? Can you think of an example when you said no to something specific that you knew you shouldn’t be doing? What does that have to do with our sin nature? Why do you think God gave us a choice?

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el; therefore, He gives a vision of the Messianic Kingdom and her position in it.

When the LORD returns, He is coming with fire and His chariots like a whirlwind (66:15a). A whirlwind is His sweeping, irresistible wind of judgment that leaves nothing behind. His judgment and vengeance will be inflicted upon His enemies. The rabbis teach that the fire here is the fire of Gehenna in which the adversaries of God are placed. He will bring down His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire (66:15b). Fire represents ADONAI’s holiness, aroused by sin. When God restores His people in Jerusalem during the Millennium, they will rejoice and prosper, but on His and Isra’el’s enemies He will swoop down in judgment like a fire (Isaiah 10:17, 29:6, 30:27 and 30; 2 Thess 1:7b-9). Human rebellion will no longer be able to stand up to the terrible presence of God than a field of wheat can stand up to a tornado.

We know from Matthew 24:1-25 and Zechariah 13:1-6 that Isra’el once again will revert to idolatry during the Great Tribulation. But now all of that will be removed. For with fire and with His sword the LORD will execute judgment, literally, return (shub, which is the key word in the book of Jeremiah) on all people and many will be those slain by the sword (66:16). The Bible teaches us that two-thirds of the Jews will be struck down and perish during the Great Tribulation (Zechariah 13:8). Undoubtedly, many, if not most, will be killed by the antichrist in Satan’s effort to eliminate Isra’el from the face of the earth; however, many will also be killed by God’s holy wrath upon a sinning world. Once again, many people have a difficult time seeing the righteousness in this judgment of ADONAI. Yes, God is love (First John 4:8) and He is patient (Second Peter 3:9). But He is also a righteous God who cannot tolerate idolatry or sin. And there is a limit to His patience. He will come again to return on His enemies the choices of their rebellion (57:18, 59:18, 65:6-7, 66:6).

Isaiah leaves no doubt that those who refuse God’s ways will suffer the consequences. Earlier, the prophet said that those who resist and rebel will be devoured by the sword (1:20 also see 27:1 and 34:5-6). While in typical Hebrew fashion he makes ADONAI the first cause of the destruction (Jeremiah 25:23; Zephaniah 2:12), we must remember that those killed during the Great Tribulation, whether Jew or Gentile, will die as a result of their choice of sin over righteousness. We all have that same choice today.

What is different for believers, is that now we have a choice not to sin. The Bible teaches that we all inherited the fatal disease of sin from Adam, for when he sinned, sin entered the world (Romans 5:12 NLT). And before having the power of the Ruach ha-Kodesh in our lives, the psalmist Asaph would declare that he had no choice, saying: I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You (Psalm 73:22). But after being plugged in to the changing power of the Spirit of God, for the first time we have a choice. Paul would write to the church at Rome: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin (Romans 6:1-2a). It doesn’t mean that we are perfect now or in the future, but when confronted with something we know is wrong, we can say, “No thanks.” Sin carries with it its own judgment, and righteousness carries with it its own reward.

At the end of the Great Tribulation there will be a destruction of every form of idolatry (57:5). Those who consecrate and purify themselves by occult practices and go into the gardens that were favorite spots for idol worship, following the one in their midst (66:17a). The one in their midst may possibly be a person or an idol. But whatever or whoever it is, the worshipers will meet their end together suddenly (66:17c). Because Jesus Christ will set up His Kingdom and rule and reign from Jerusalem, all idolatry must end. Those who participate in the occult when they eat the flesh of pigs and mice (the mouse was a symbol of the occult in the ancient world) and other abominable things (66:17b) must go the way of Achan (Joshua 7). The eating of the flesh of pigs and mice, which were forbidden to the Jews, formed the basis of the sacrificial meals for those who practiced the occult. When people stop believing in the revealed truth of the Bible, it is not that they end up believing in nothing, but that they will believe in anything – gardens, pigs, mice or whatever!

But now these occult practices are devoted to destruction by the LORD (34:2). I, ADONAI your God, am a jealous God in the sense of a husband being jealous over advances made toward His wife. But this isn’t a petty jealousy, its a passionate devotion (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Dl – You Shall Not Make for Yourself an Idol). It is just and right that He would want an exclusive relationship with His wife. The Commandments point us in the right direction (see the commentary on Exodus Dk – You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me).

Hell, in the end, is ADONAI simply allowing people to wallow in the sin that they have chosen. God will not violate our free will to choose or reject Him. Isaiah is quite clear about this. To be servants of the LORD, or not, is a personal decision that none of us can avoid. There are only two kinds of spiritual food; there is angel’s food or devil’s food, and if you aren’t eating one – you’re eating the other. Choose wisely because the consequences are eternal. There will be a new world, but God will not force us into it. The choice is ours.²⁵⁹

I Will Extend Peace to Her Like a River,
and the Wealth of the Nations Like a Flooding Stream
66: 10-14

I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like a flooding stream DIG: Who is God talking to here? At the end of the Great Tribulation, who were the three groups that would mourn over what Jerusalem had become? Who is portrayed as a nursing mother? Who is not? Why? To what extent will the holiness of Jerusalem and Judah be seen? How will His hand of blessing or His fist of fury be evident?

REFLECT: How do you see yourself in this picture of the future? Which of the three groups who would mourn do you identify with the most? Why? If only God can completely supply all the needs of His people, how has He supplied your needs? Does His ability to supply all your needs mean that all of your needs have to be met by Him? Why or why not? Who is the Potter and who is the clay (Isaiah 29:16; Jeremiah 18:1-6)?

In God’s continuing answer to the cries of forgiveness and salvation from the believing remnant in Chapter 64:1-12, the LORD continues to answer. After making it crystal clear in the last segment that all His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el were to be fulfilled, ADONAI now gives the faithful remnant a vision of her new life in the messianic Kingdom.

The Ruach declares: Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her (66:10). At the end of the Great Tribulation there would only be three groups who would mourn over what Jerusalem had become – the religious capital of the world for the antichrist. The first group would be the believing remnant; the second group would be the 144,000 Jews who will preach the gospel, seemingly for the entire seven years (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those Who Were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el); and the third group would be the sheep Gentiles who help the Jews survive during the second half of the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation Fc – The Sheep and the Goats). What will be the cause of rejoicing?

The people of Isra’el will delight in Jerusalem as an infant delights in her mother’s sustenance. For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance, literally, the nipple of her glory (66:11). It is important to understand that ADONAI is not being compared to a nursing mother – Tziyon is. Their beloved City will be restored and then provide for all their needs. Jerusalem had seen far too much heartbreak. But, the prophet says, the day has come when such tragedy will merely be a distant thought of the past. We can see the deeply contented expression of a mother who has more than enough milk for her baby, and we can also see the perfectly satisfied look on the face of a nursing baby. This will be the joy of Jerusalem during the Messianic Kingdom, every need will be supplied. Tziyon’s abundance will be the source of strength for the believing remnant, the 144,000 and the sheep Gentiles. The mother’s milk will provide everything that her children may need to live strong and stable lives.

Ultimately, only God can completely supply all the needs of His people. If Yerushalayim will be able to supply her children’s needs, it is only because God is there (see Db – The Nine Missing Articles in Messiah’s Coming Temple). ADONAI’s promises rest on the sole guarantee of His word. For this is what the LORD says: I will extend peace to her like a river (66:12a). Throughout the book of Isaiah, shalom has been presented as the integration of all parts of life that constitutes the ultimate blessing of a true relationship with the suffering Servant (53:1), Yeshua Messiah. And concerning the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees (66:12b). She will receive the wealth of the nations (60:5, 11 and 61:6). She will receive peace (48:18 and 55:12) like a river and the Gentiles will carry the inhabitants of the City to the Land like a child is carried on her mother’s arm.

The Hebrew word ish, means a man, in an hour when his need is much greater than the need he had as an infant at her breasts. As a man – (ish) comforted by his mother, I will comfort you; in Jerusalem you will be comforted (66:13 CJB). The fact that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh uses the phrase, like someone comforted by, shows this is merely an analogy. In this analogy, God is compared to a mother who embraces her grown son. The adult son, this man is a picture of Isra’el and the need is not physical but spiritual, as he faces grief, failure and loss. Undoubtedly, this careful distancing of God from the nursing motif is the same reason that God is never said to give birth. The Bible goes to great pains to protect the truth of the transcendence of God. He is fundamentally different than we are. He is not an extension of us; however, all that is personally and spiritually true of both mothers and fathers is also true of ADONAI.

Although Isaiah is the primary prophet describing Jerusalem in the Millennium, Jeremiah has much to say regarding her comfort. He describes the reestablishment of the throne of David, making it the center of Gentile attention. At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts (Jeremiah 3:17). The increased size of Zion, its holiness, and indestructibility are pointed out in Jeremiah 31:38-40. God Himself will dwell there (Zechariah 2:10-12 and Joel 3:17) and rule over a regathered Isra’el (Micah 4:4-8 and Zephaniah 3:14-17).

Yerushalayim will be comforted and will rejoice both inwardly with the heart and outwardly. She will prosper and flourish like grass (Psalm 35:10, 51:8; Isaiah 58:11). The hand of the Lord will be made known to the believing remnant, but His fury will be shown to His foes (Second Thessalonians 1:7-10). In a positive, holy sense, God has always had a special jealousy for Jerusalem that will cause Him to return to her and dwell in her midst. I am very jealous for Tziyon; I am burning with jealousy for her and I will return to Tziyon and dwell in Jerusalem. This Yerushalayim will be called the City of Truth and the mountain of the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB) will be called the Holy Mountain (Zechariah 8:2-3).

Finally, the holiness that will characterize Jerusalem will extend to the bells upon the horses, and to the cooking pots in the kitchen. When that day comes, this will be written on the bells worn by the horses: Holy to ADONAI; and the cooking pots in the house of ADONAI will be [as holy] as the sprinkling bowls before the altar. Yes, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies. Everyone who offers sacrifices will come, take them and use them to stew the meat. When that day comes, there will no longer be merchants in the house of the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (Zechariah 14:20-21 CJB).²⁵⁸ God promises that He will reveal Himself to those who seek Him. And those who call themselves the children of God can lay claim to that promise both now and in the golden age of Jerusalem yet to come.

When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants (66:14), but His fury will be shown to His enemies (63:1-6). God’s generous treatment of Jerusalem and her children at the end of the Great Tribulation will clearly show the difference between His servants and His enemies. For far too long, the distinction has not been clear in this world. People ask, and rightly so, what good is it to live a godly life when the wrongdoers seem to get off the hook (Psalm 37 and 73; Malachi 3:13-15). It seems as though someone is asleep at the switch. When Yeshua Messiah returns a second time His hand of blessing will be evident from the blessed condition of His servants, but His devastating fist of fury will strike His enemies (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment).

Do I Bring to the Moment of Birth and Not Give Delivery?
66: 7-9

Do I bring the moment of birth and not give delivery? DIG: When and where does this rebirth take place (63:1-6)? What must precede it (63:7 to 64:12)? How many are saved at that time? What does ADONAI say about His faithfulness (40:8)? What would this message mean to the faithful remnant at the end of the Great Tribulation as the antichrist and his world army tightened the nose around their neck at Bozrah?

REFLECT: What do these verses say about God’s promises to you? What does this do to your faith? Your hope? Your trust? When were you born-again? Are you born-again? If you would like to know how to accept Christ, to see link click Jd – It Was the LORD’s Will to Crush Him and Cause Him to Suffer.

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el; therefore, here the LORD gives a vision of the Messianic Kingdom and her position in it.

In this segment the focus returns to hope, picking up the theme of Jerusalem as mother that has occurred frequently throughout Isaiah. Elsewhere this theme has been used to point to mourning and denial (26:16-18, 37:3, 51:18-20); but also, of hope and promise (49:19-21; 54:1-3). Zion will be known for her abundance and blessing, and will provide such for her inhabitants. Gone will be the days when she was stripped bare, when her children were slaughtered and it seemed impossible that she would ever give birth again. This is a summary of the rebirth of Isra’el. Yeshua Messiah will not return until He is asked to by the leadership and the people of Isra’el at the end of the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ).

Like childbirth, the Great Tribulation will be a time of labor. Here again is one of Isaiah’s graphic metaphors used to make a point. Isra’el will go through the Great Tribulation after Messiah is born in Bethlehem – before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a Son (66:7). The Church Age was a mystery to the righteous of the TaNaKh. Paul said: This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the Church (Eph 5:32). But the believing remnant would read these words with complete clarity. It will help them understand what they have been through, and why they had to go through it.

The sudden and speedy repopulation of Zion is depicted to hearten the faithful remnant. Isaiah highlights the amazing nature of what he was saying with four rhetorical questions, all of which are all grammatically designed to expect a negative answer. Who has ever heard of such a thing? No, of course not. Who has ever seen such things? It is contrary to nature. This is obviously a work of God. Then the prophet changes the subject of this dramatic turn of events. Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment (66:8a)? Oh, we are talking about the birth of a country. All at once? In a single moment? Who could be the mother of such children? This surely was puzzling to the faithful of Isaiah’s day, after all, Ezeki’el’s description of the valley of dry bones springing to life was not written until over a hundred years later (see my commentary on Jeremiah Gk – The Valley of Dry Bones). Yet the believing remnant at the end of the Great Tribulation, crying out in pain and suffering would have no doubt that the mother was Yerushalayim. However, who were her children?

Yet no sooner is Tziyon in the labor of the Great Tribulation than she gives birth to her children (66:8b). Isaiah was talking about them! It was them! Yes, they had been in labor. Yes, they had been in distress. But destruction was not God’s ultimate goal. It was to give them life! The Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it (John 5:21b)! It was like Yeshua was talking directly to them on the road to Emmaus: Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and they asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us” (Luke 24:13-35)?

Do I bring the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the LORD (66:9a)? God will make sure that all He has promised is accomplished, nothing will be left unfinished. Shall He start the birth process as He had in the creation of the nation of Isra’el, and not bring it to completion? But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead (26:19). The word says, as in says the LORD, occurs twice in this verse. The first instance is in the imperfect tense, or keeps saying. ADONAI keeps saying, do I not follow through on what I say I am going to do?

The second instance is in the perfect tense, something already settled. Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery? says your God (66:9b). These illustrations point out that God keeps saying what He has declared, and has declared what is already settled. The 144,000 Jews who are sealed at the beginning of the Great Tribulation will make it through. Every single one of them (see the commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those Who Were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el).

The world, the antichrist, the false prophet and Satan himself may have said that Yerushalayim was barren, and even if pregnant, was too weak to give birth to anything like the righteousness of ADONAI (37:3). But it is not Tziyon saving the world, it is God. And He is the One who has proved that what He says is so. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out of My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (55:10-11). Therefore, if the LORD says that He will bring spiritual life back to the nation of Isra’el, we can count on it. For nothing, absolutely nothing, can prevent that promise from being realized.

Hear the Word of the LORD,
You Who Tremble at His Word
66: 5-6

Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word DIG: Why is this message necessary? What will the faithful remnant endure during the Great Tribulation? Who will oppose them during the first three-and-a-half years of Tribulation? Why? Who will persecute them during the second three-and-a-half years? Again, why? Why is it important that the enemies of God get all they deserve?

REFLECT: How are you distinguished from your nation as a whole? When did your rebirth take place (John 3:1-21)? Where does your citizenship lay (see Philippians 3:20)? If you were arrested for being a believer in Yeshuah Messiah, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Are you a friend of the world? Or trying to please an audience of One?

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el; therefore, looking back at their actions during the Great Tribulation, here the LORD addresses the faithful remnant.

This message distinguishes the faithful remnant from the secular Jews as they went through the Great Tribulation. God acknowledges the ones that the world did not acknowledge. Just before the Second Coming, as the believing remnant confesses their sins and pleads for Yeshua Messiah to return, He acknowledges that they did not participate in the worthless sacrificial system in the Tribulation Temple (to see link click Ks – The Rejection of the Tribulation Temple). The secular Jews disfellowshipped them from the Tribulation Temple (not that they wanted to worship there anyway), and supposedly put the cherem judgment, or that which was devoted to destruction, upon them (Joshua 6:18; Isaiah 34:2). Little did they know; however, that they had actually put the cherem judgment on themselves!

God will make the distinction between the true and the false – that which is spiritually alive and that which is spiritually dead. In His parable of the Weeds, Christ said: Let the wheat and the weeds grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into My barn” (Matthew 13:30). The believing remnant was protected from destruction because of their faithfulness to His Word. Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His Word (66:5a). ADONAI is always . . . always on the side of those who love His Word.

The LORD’s plan of action at the end of the Tribulation included protection from the antichrist as they were hold up at Bozrah (63:1-6). Earlier, at the beginning of the Tribulation, He had allowed them to suffer as ADONAI reminded them: Your brothers hate you, and exclude you because of My name. To be totally sold-out for God, to make His ways the very focus of your life, is to be an embarrassment to those who choose to follow their own way. Those truly seeking God become the butt of jokes. The lost say, “They are always constantly talking joy of the LORD and the glory of God.” Fine! Let the LORD be glorified somewhere else, so that we may see your joy when you’re on the street (66:5b)! During the first three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation the secular Jews will hate and taunt Jewish believers because they will refuse to worship in the Tribulation Temple. Interesting, the entire first part of verse 5 describes the problem, and only the last two Hebrew words describe ADONAI’s solution. But those last two words slam the door on their fate when He says: They will be put to shame (66:5c).

The very Temple that was supposed to be a blessing will be a curse. Like Malachi, Isaiah saw that Jerusalem and its apostate Temple would be the scene of God’s final judgment on faithless Isra’el (Malachi 3:1-5).²⁵⁷ The sound that will be heard coming from the Tribulation Temple in Jerusalem will be the sound of ADONAI repaying His enemies for all they deserve (66:6). As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous believing remnant will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear (Matthew 13:40-43).

Who are the enemies of God? The Bible is very clear about this: Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world (First John 2:15-17) becomes the enemy of God (James 4:4). His enemies will not be Jews, but the wicked Gentiles present at the Temple at the end of the Great Tribulation. The Jews will not be anywhere near the Temple at the end of the seven years of Tribulation because they will be fleeing the persecution of the antichrist and his armies. But ADONAI will deal with the enemies of Isra’el because they are His enemies also. So just when the LORD’s judgment is about to be completed and the Tribulation Temple has been proven to be totally useless, the rebirth of Isra’el will come. Darkness will suddenly turn to joy.

The Rejection of the Tribulation Temple
66: 1-4

The rejection of the Tribulation Temple DIG: Why would God reject this Temple? How were the Jews deceived? How does the rebuke for the wicked and promises to the faithful in 56:9 to 58:14, parallel to the rebuke for the wicked and promises to the faithful in 65:1 to 66:17 (see the chiastic structure in Jj – My House Will Be Called a House of Prayer for All Nations). Why is a dog’s neck and pig’s blood mentioned?

REFLECT: When you go to church or messianic synagogue, what is more important, the fact that you are there or your spiritual attitude? Have you ever found yourself focusing on the form of worship and missing the Person of worship? How did you see it? Change it? What do you think the LORD cares about more?

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el.

Here the prophet speaks of the Tribulation Temple that God will not accept. This is what the LORD says: Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me? Where will My resting place be (66:1)? This excludes Solomon’s Temple or the first temple because God had accepted those. This was proved when God moved His Sh’khinah glory from the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle to Solomon’s Temple. This rejected Temple also excludes Herod’s Temple or the second Temple. Haggai and Zechariah were prophets that encouraged the people to have that second temple built. Nor could this be talking about the fourth Temple, or the Messianic Temple (Ezeki’el 40-48) because God Himself will build it. So the only Temple that the Bible talks about that could be disapproved of would be the third Temple or the Tribulation Temple (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Bx – The Tribulation Temple).

We know from Scripture that by the middle of the Great Tribulation this Temple is both standing and functioning (Dani’el 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). Therefore, it is not a Temple that God will bless or accept because it will be based on a sacrificial system that has been done away with. Rather, God says that what He accepts or esteems during the Great Tribulation is not a sacrificial system. ADONAI asks a rhetorical question: Has not My hand made all these things, and so they came into being, declares the LORD? The appropriate response would be, “Yes, of course, LORD, You have brought out the starry host one by one, You call them each by name, and because of Your great power and mighty strength not one of them is missing. You have created all these things (40:26)! But God answers that His sanctuary is the human heart. This is the one I esteem: The person who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word (66:2).

God says that no sacrifice offered on the Tribulation altar will be accepted. Whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s blood, and whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an idol (66:3a). Killing men, breaking dog’s necks or worshiping idols were never acceptable sacrifices to God, but they were evidently being offered during the second half of the Great Tribulation by the Gentiles offering their own form of Temple sacrifices. The reason God will reject all of them is because they have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations (66:3b). By rebuilding the Temple and reinstituting the counterfeit Levitical system, they will have foolishly chosen to try to establish their own righteousness, and by doing so they will reject the righteousness of God.

Then the judgment of God will come. These next four lines of Hebrew text are almost identical with 65:12b. The only difference is that here apostate Gentiles are in view, and there apostate Jews were doomed because of the spiritual adultery. So I will choose harsh treatment for them. Their delusion about being able to establish their own righteousness will cause God to bring upon them what they dread. Why? For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. Because they did not listen to God and chose, instead, to do evil in His sight. They did evil in My sight and chose what displeases Me (66:4). That harsh treatment, ta’alulim, is probably better rendered sudden judgment here. Therefore, sudden judgment will be their lot when Yeshua Messiah returns with justice to judge and make war (see the commentary on Revelation Ew – I Saw Heaven Standing Open and a Rider Whose Name is Called Faithful and True).

The Rebirth of Isra’el
66: 1-24

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el; therefore, He gives a vision of the Messianic Kingdom and her position in it.

As the climax of the book, this chapter fittingly describes the Messianic Kingdom, the time toward which history has been marching, and the time that was promised to Abraham. The experience of the rebirth of Isra’el is contrary to the conditions of natural birth. It is a time that all those who love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob look forward to with great anticipation. It is the reason that the LORD told Abram: I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:2-3). ADONAI’s overwhelming greatness and profound contempt are seen here. The apostates will experience terrible retribution, while eternal peace and happiness will be the reward of the faithful.

The Wolf and the Lamb Will Feed Together,
and the Lion Will Eat Straw Like the Ox
65: 17-25

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox DIG: What emotion will typify the relationship of the restored people to ADONAI? Of God to them? What accounts for this new state of affairs? What will life be like when the exiles are freed? What is the reality that lies behind each figure of speech? How does the account of the creation and the fall figure as background to this passage? What do we learn here about the LORD’s promises?

REFLECT: How does this new creation come into being for us (see Second Corinthians 5:17)? What will be the impact of this truth on our lifestyle (see Second Peter 3:11-3)? What does this vision ultimately mean to us (see Revelation 21:1-5)? Which of these New Covenant applications of this heavenly vision especially strikes you now? Why? Try to picture your life without any of the causes or results of grief, sin, or pain. What would that free you to do? How might this vision of what God will bring about affect the way you deal with the struggles you do face now?

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el; therefore, He gives a vision of the Messianic Kingdom and her position in it.

Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind (65:17). These verses describe the glories and marvels of a new era in which all existing earthly conditions will undergo a complete makeover. A distinction needs to be made between the new heavens and a new earth in this passage and the new heaven and a new earth in Revelation 21 and 22. The new heavens and new earth in Revelation 21 and 22 describes the Eternal State (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Fq – The Eternal State), which has unique characteristics not found in the Messianic Kingdom. For example, there was no longer any sea (Revelation 21:1), and the New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven. The City will be laid out like a square (Revelation 21:16) with room for fifty-three billion people. In addition, there will be no more death (Revelation 21:4) and we know that there will be death in the Messianic Kingdom as we will see in this passage. The conditions of the new heavens and new earth described here are often opposite of the Eternal State found in Revelation.

We must remember that the Messianic Kingdom was the high point of messianic prophecy. No prophet in the TaNaKh ever saw beyond it. Having only the TaNaKh to guide them they thought that once the Kingdom was established, the conditions described concerning it would be eternal. An example of this in the New Covenant is at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13). After Jesus Christ was transfigured before the three disciples, and Peter saw the Lord’s face shining like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light, he thought Yeshua was ushering in the Kingdom. And as a good Jew he knew that the Feast of Tabernacles would be celebrated in the Kingdom (Zechariah 14:16). So he said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here (in the Messianic Kingdom). If you wish, I will put up three shelters (or booths, or tabernacles) – one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter has received a lot of grief for putting his foot in his mouth, and many times he deserves it. But here, Peter makes a correct statement based upon revelation that he had at the time. The point is that Peter thought conditions of the Kingdom would be eternal. But the book of Revelation teaches us that the Kingdom will last a thousand years (Revelation 20:2), and after that there will be a new eternal heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). So as the Messianic Kingdom is the high point of prophecy in the TaNaKh, the Eternal State is the high point of prophecy in the B’rit Chadashah.

This present earth will undergo a massive renovation during a seventy-five day interval between the end of the Great Tribulation and the start of the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Ey – The Seventy-Five Day Interval). In addition, all the Jews who are a part of the national regeneration of Isra’el at the end of the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ) will receive their resurrection bodies (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dv – Our Resurrection Bodies).

As ADONAI answers the believing remnant at the end of the Great Tribulation (53:1-9), He describes the Millennial Jerusalem, which points to the fact that Israel’s past sins could not frustrate His ultimate promises and plans for her. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. The pair of roots for gladness and rejoicing occurs three times in 65:18-19, emphasizing how completely the wonder of the LORD’s creative work will blot all the memory of the former world. For I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy (65:18). Jerusalem will be a delight; but it is not that today. It has the Wailing Wall and a lot of unhappy people. The day will come, however, when the people themselves will be a joy to God. The very nature of Jerusalem will be a delight and the very nature of its people will be joy. The new creation and the New Jerusalem will be the perfect setting for His new people.

The LORD continues to give His vision of the Messianic Kingdom to the faithful remnant at the end of the Great Tribulation. Zion will not only be a joy to itself, but also to God. He declared to them: I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people; the sound of weeping and of crying, literally screaming, will be heard no more (65:19). The Jerusalem that had so often been a source of grief, disgust and rage will one day bring Him nothing but joy. What a change there is going to be for Jerusalem! This is one of the most touching thoughts in the book of Isaiah.

Never again in the Messianic Kingdom will there be an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed (65:20). This verse describes the existence of life, death, and sin in the Kingdom. Many people are surprised to discover that there is sin in the Millennial Kingdom. But sin and death are precisely what distinguishes the Kingdom from the eternal state. The Kingdom, while more perfect than anything we will experience during our lifetime, will still have the existence of sin and death. The key to grasping this concept lies in understanding Hebrew poetry.

In line one, we learn that never again will there be an infant who lives but a few days. According to the first line there will be no infant mortality in the Kingdom. The reason for this is given in the second line.

The second line will further explain the first line. Or an old man who does not live out his years. Everyone will be allowed to live up to a certain point.

In the third line, he who dies at a hundred will be thought of as a mere youth. In the Kingdom, the one who is considered to have died young is the one who dies at one hundred years old. That is the minimum that all unbelievers will be allowed to live.

The fourth line goes on to explain that the sinner  who reaches (Hebrew: vehachovte, meaning the sinner who reaches) a hundred will be considered accursed. This verse tells us why death is greatly reduced in the Kingdom, but at the same time not eliminated; because death will be for unbelievers only. We should not be surprised that there are those who will not believe in Messiah even though He will be in their presence. Most of His hearers did not believe the first time He came, either.²⁵⁵ The one who dies at a hundred will be the accursed sinner. At the beginning of the Kingdom, most of the people in the world have been killed by the plagues described in the book of Revelation. Most of the people will be resurrected saints with resurrection bodies who will neither marry nor be given in marriage (Matthew 22:30). The Gentiles who survive the Judgment of the Gentiles for their treatment of Isra’el are the ones who will enter and populate the Gentile nations in the Millennium. These are the sheep Gentiles (see the commentary on Revelation Fc – The Sheep and the Goats) who, because of their pro-Semitism, will all be able to participate in and populate the Kingdom.²⁵⁶ They will be marrying and being given in marriage. In their natural bodies they will produce children who will be born with the same sin nature inherited from Adam that we are born with today. Those born in the Kingdom will be given up to their one-hundredth year to accept Messiah. If they do, they will receive their perfect, eternal bodies at the time. But if they do not accept Him by the time they are one hundred they will die. So, death will be greatly reduced because it will be for unbelieving Gentiles only.

In a parallel passage, Jeremiah 31:31-34 tells us that in the Kingdom there will be no Jewish unbelievers. Every Jew will accept Christ when the time comes. Jeremiah 31:34 says: No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, “Know ADONAI,” because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Therefore, 65:20 gives us the key concerning life and death in the Kingdom.

As God continues to describe the Messianic Kingdom to the believing remnant He says that it will be a new society characterized by prosperity and longevity. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat (65:21-22a). One of the curses for Torah disobedience was that people would never be able to enjoy the fruits of their work (Deuteronomy 28:15-46, especially verse 30; Amos 5:11; Micah 6:15; Zephaniah 1:13). One would build a house, but another would live in it; one would plant a vineyard, however someone else would eat its fruit. One’s own efforts would fail, or would be driven out, or one’s life would be cut off prematurely.

By contrast, Torah obedience would have the opposite effect (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). That is the picture here: For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of My people; My chosen ones will long enjoy to the absolute maximum the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune, literally, for terror; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them (65:22b-23). Instead of tears and frustration there will be smiles and satisfaction. Why? Because the people will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The Messianic Kingdom will be like an enduring tree. Instead of dead chaff being driven by the wind (5:24, 17:13, 29:5, 33:11), or great trees cut down by the axe of God (30:34), the believing remnant will be like trees planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever they do will prosper (Psalm 1:3).

All their prayers will be answered because they will have perfect communication with ADONAI. In fact, the LORD says that before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear (65:24). The sin nature of the Jews had prevented them from communicating with God in a personal way. But after their national regeneration (Romans 11:26), all godly prayers will be divinely fulfilled even before they have been expressed.

In God’s vision of the Messianic Kingdom, His peace will even extend down to the animals. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox (65:25a) but dust will be the serpent’s food (65:25a) We are told that all animals will become vegetarians; they will not feed upon each other. This was the state of the animal kingdom in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Animals will be killed to sacrifice during the Kingdom (Ezeki’el 46:2), and man will eat meat as well. So animals will be killed but humans will kill them. But dust will be the serpent’s food (65:25b). In Genesis 3:14, God condemned the serpent to crawl on his belly and eat dust all the days of his life. When that happens the prophecy will be fulfilled and the curse will be truly broken.

The wolf eating with the lamb is not the picture today. If the wolf and the lamb lie down together, the wolf has lamb chops. Not only that, the lion will eat straw. That seems pretty impossible to us today. But if God can make the lion, He can make the lion eat straw. The law of the jungle will be changed to conform to the rule of the King. There will be nothing to hurt or harm and as the LORD says, there will neither harm nor destruction be on all My holy mountain (65:25c). Earlier, Isaiah had said that in the last days the mountain of ADONAI’s Temple will be established as chief among the mountains (2:2a). At the time of the Second Coming, Isra’el will experience some incredible geographical and topographical changes. One of the most striking changes will be the rise of a very high mountain that will become the highest mountain in the world. On top of this mountain will stand the millennial Jerusalem and Temple (Ezekiel 40-43). Here, God’s rule from this mountain and Temple will be preeminent.

My Chosen People Will Inherit My Mountains
65: 8-16

My chosen people will inherit my mountains DIG: Compare 65:8-12 with 10:20-23. What do they have in common? How is the emphasis of each different? What will happen to those who have placed their hope in other gods? What are the four covenants that are the basis of Israel’s final restoration? What geographical and topographical changes will take place in the Land during the Messianic Kingdom? How will the millennial priesthood and sacrifices change? What twelve tribes will be given land? What promises are here for those who have not followed the way of idolatry?

REFLECT: What qualities in 65:13-16 mark the people who receive the curses pronounced by Isaiah? Where do you see that in evidence today? Or will this only be manifested in the distant future? Why do you think so? How can the promises of 65:13-16 become so much a part of you that they can encourage you when you feel spiritually hungry, thirsty, or ashamed? If God is faithful in His promises to Israel, what does that say about His promises to you? What aspects of the Kingdom described here do you see yourself participating in? Why? How?

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation. But their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el.

There is never a time when Isra’el is in total disobedience. In every dispensation there is always a believing remnant within Isra’el. This is true today. Despite her many sins, God would not totally destroy her because of the believing remnant, which is likened to a cluster of grapes. This is what ADONAI says: As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes, and men say, “Don’t destroy it, there is yet some good in it,” so will I do in behalf of My servants; I will not destroy them all (65:8). God uses the term servants here to describe the faithful remnant. Remember the cone of Isaiah (to see link click Hl – The Cone of Isaiah); he uses the term servants in three different senses. Sometimes it is Isra’el the whole, sometimes it is Isra’el the believing remnant, and sometimes it is the Servant of the LORD; from the wider to the very narrow. So because of the believing remnant within the nation, God will not destroy them all. That is the principle. And this is still true today. It is the existence of the righteous of the TaNaKh that keeps the nation as a whole alive.

I will bring forth descendants from Jacob and from Judah; those who will possess My mountains; My chosen people will inherit them, and there will My servants live (65:9). The nation of Isra’el will continue to be God’s chosen people and the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10). This is a major theme and high point of the prophets in the TaNaKh (see my commentary on Isaiah Jf – For Your Maker is Your Husband, the LORD Almighty is His Name). Since ADONAI has the power to raise up old seed from a field of burned-out stumps (6:11-13, 11:1, 53:10), He can bring out from Judah descendants who will possess God’s mountains (or Land).

To spiritualize or allegorize away such a vast amount of the Bible is to confuse the whole discipline of interpretation. There is no reason to spiritualize any of these prophecies any more than there is reason to spiritualize the prophecies concerning the First Coming of Christ, such as the virgin birth, His birth in Bethlehem, His death or His physical resurrection.

There are four components of Isra’el’s final restoration, and each is based on a specific covenant. Each covenant is developed more extensively later in the Scriptures. First, is the regeneration of Isra’el, which is based on the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The fact that Isra’el was to undergo a national regeneration is not confined to the words of the New Covenant alone. There are many other scriptures to support it (Isaiah 29:22-24, 30:18:22, 44:1-5, 45:17; Jeremiah 50:19-20; Ezeki’el 11:19-20, 36:25-27; Hosea 1:10-21, 14:4-8; Joel 2:28-32; Micah 7:18-20; Zephaniah 3:9-13 and Romans 11:25-27).

The second component is the regathering of Isra’el, which is based on the Land Covenant (Deuteronomy 29:1 to 30:20). The regathering of Isra’el back to the Promised Land, following the regeneration, is another high point of prophetic revelation to be found in many of the prophets (Isaiah 11:11 to 12:6, 27:12-13, 43:5-7; Jeremiah 16:14-15, 23:3-8, 31:7-10; Ezeki’el 11:14-18, 36:24; Amos 9:14-15; Zephaniah 3:18-20; Zechariah 10:8-12 and Matthew 24:31).

The third component is the possession of the Promised Land, which is based on the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3). At the time that the Covenant was first made, Abram was merely told to go to a Land that ADONAI would show him. When he arrived in the Land, God again revealed Himself to Abram (Genesis 12:7), and promised the Land to him and his descendants forever (Genesis 13:14-17). Later, the exact boundaries were given (Genesis 15:12-21). This covenant was reconfirmed through Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5), and Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15). The possession and productivity of the Land was developed further by both the Torah and the prophets (Leviticus 26:40-45; Deuteronomy 30:5; Isaiah 27:12, 30:23-26, 35:1-2, 65:21-24; Jeremiah 31:1-6 and 11-14; Ezeki’el 20:42-44, 28:25-26, 34:25-31, 36:8-15, and 28-38; Joel 2:18-27, 3:18; Amos 9:13). So for the first time in Isra’el’s history, she will possess all of the Promised Land, while the Land itself will greatly increase in its productivity and be well watered, all on the basis of the Abrahamic Covenant.

The fourth component is the reestablishment of the throne of King David, which is based on the Davidic Covenant (Second Samuel 7:11b-16; First Chronicles 17:10b-14). The Messiah holds three offices: prophet, priest and king. However, He does not function in all these offices simultaneously. Rather, the functioning of these three offices is to be carried out in a chronological sequence. During His first ministry on earth at His First Coming, Jesus functioned in the office of a prophet. But this ceased at the time of His death. Since His death and resurrection, and until Yeshua Messiah returns, He is functioning in the office of a priest. This ministry will cease at the Second Coming. Christ has never yet functioned in the office of a king. For Him to do so, there must be the reestablishment of the throne of David upon which He will sit to rule as King over Isra’el and King of the world (Psalm 89:3-4, 29, 34-37; Jeremiah 33:17-26; Amos 9:11-12 and Luke 1:32-33). This ministry will begin at the Second Coming. Therefore, the promises that God made to Isra’el have not been rendered null and void. Isra’el is yet to enjoy all the promises of the four unfulfilled unconditional covenants, each of which points respectively to the four components of Isra’el’s final restoration.

There are also other characteristics of Israel’s final restoration. There are three other points that deal with Isra’el’s final restoration that are not connected with any specific covenant. First, one of the major characteristics of the final restoration will be that Isra’el will be reunited as a nation, never to be divided into separate kingdoms again (Jeremiah 3:18; Ezeki’el 37:15-23). Secondly, she will become the center of Gentile attention (Isaiah 14:1-2, 49:22-23, 61:4-9; Micah 7:14-17; Zephaniah 3:20; Zechariah 8:23). At the time of the restoration, the Jews will no longer be treated with contempt. Instead, they will be treated with reverential respect, for they will be known as the ministers of God. Thirdly, she will be characterized by righteousness, holiness, peace, security, joy and gladness (Isaiah 32:16-20, 35:5-10, 55:12-13 and 61:10-11).

At the time of the Second Coming, Isra’el will experience some incredible geographical and topographical changes. One of the most striking changes will be the rise of a very high mountain that will become the highest mountain in the world. On top of this mountain will stand the Millennial Jerusalem and Temple. There are several passages that describe this Millennial Mountain of the Temple, or ADONAI’s House (Isaiah 2:2-4). Later, Isaiah tells us that this high mountain will become the center of Jewish (Isaiah 27:13) and Gentile (Isaiah 56:6-8) worship. In fact, the Gentiles will bring the people of Israel there (Isaiah 66:20; Ezekiel 17:22-24; Micah 4:1-2). Later, Ezeki’el prophesies how the holy mountain will be the center of Jewish worship in the Millennial Kingdom (Ezekiel 20:40-41). And only in the closing chapters of his book does Ezeki’el fill us in on the details of what the Millennial Temple will be like (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gs – God Shows a Vision of the Millennial Temple).

The LORD spoke through the prophet Ezeki’el when He said: I will make a covenant of peace with the nation of Isra’el; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put My sanctuary among them forever (see the commentary on Exodus Fi – The Sanctuary in the Tabernacle). My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations of the world will know that I, God make Israel holy, when My sanctuary, or the Millennial Temple, is among them forever (Ezeki’el 37:26-28). Ezeki’el goes into much more detail about the Millennial Temple later in his book (Ezeki’el 40:5 to 43:27). It will be the center of Jewish and Gentile worship during the Millennial Kingdom.

Ezeki’el 44:1 to 46:24 describes the various regulations concerning the Millennial priesthood and its system of sacrifice. As there are similarities with the commandments of the Torah, there are also some obvious differences. Therefore, the Millennial system of priesthood and sacrifice cannot be seen as merely a reestablishment of the Torah, which permanently ended with the death of Christ. During the Messianic Kingdom a brand-new system will be established. It will contain some old commandments and some new commandments, but it will be instituted for an entirely different purpose (see Db – The Nine Missing Articles in the Messiah’s Coming Temple).

There will be a Millennial river flowing from the Millennial Temple (Joel 3:18; Ezeki’el 47:1-2). It will flow east from the Temple until it passes the eastern gate, then it will head south toward Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:8). There it will divide into two branches. The western branch will flow down the mountain and empty into the Mediterranean Sea (see Ge – Your Eyes Will See the King in His Beauty). The eastern branch will flow to the Dead Sea, which will change it dramatically, being teamed with life (Ezeki’el 47:8-10).

For the first time in Isra’el’s history, the Jews will possess and settle in all of the Promised Land, or Millennial Isra’el. It will be divided among the twelve tribes, but they will be divided differently than those described in the book of Joshua. The northern boundary will extend from the Mediterranean Sea, incorporating much of modern-day Lebanon and parts of modern Syria over to the Euphrates River. The eastern border will move south from the Euphrates River, including the Golan Heights and portions of Syria almost up to Damascus, and continue south to the Jordan River where it will extend to the Sea of Galilee. The border will then run along the Brook of Egypt, the modern Wadie-el-Arish, to the point where it reaches the Mediterranean Sea, that will serve as the western border. The tribes will run from north to south in the following order: Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben. The mountain of ADONAI’s House will serve as a dividing line between the seven northern and five southern tribes. Then the five remaining southern tribes are described running from north to south in the following order: Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun and Gad.

While Ezeki’el closes the final section of his book with a short description of Millennial Jerusalem, other inspired writers of the TaNaKh give us more detail. The Psalter tells us that God will establish His beautiful City, where Zion will be glad and rejoice (Psalm 48:1-13). The City of God (Psalm 87:1-7) will be known for its strength and peace as a result of the reestablishment of the throne of David (Psalm 122:1-9, 147:2-20; Isaiah 66:10-14). It will be characterized by holiness, justice and righteousness (Isaiah 1:26-27, 33:20-24, 52:1-2; Jeremiah 31:38-40; Joel 3:17), because the Messiah will reign there (Isaiah 52:7-10; Micah 4:6-8; Zephaniah 3:14-17). Jerusalem will become the center of worldwide attention for the sheep Gentiles (John 10:16) and their descendants (Isaiah 60:10-14; Jeremiah 3:17; Zechariah 8:20-22). The Gentile nations, who in the past afflicted the City of Jerusalem, will, at that time, bow in submission to its authority (Isaiah 62:1-12). Peace and joy will return to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 33:9-11), because God Himself has chosen to rebuild her and dwell there (Zechariah 1:14-17, 2:1-12, 8:1-8). At that time, the City of Peace will finally live up to her name. The golden age of Jerusalem is yet to come (Zechariah 14:20-21).⁴⁴⁰

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant hold up in Bozrah while the armies of the antichrist circle around them in Chapter 64 is answered by ADONAI. There will be a place of safety and rest for them. Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me (65:10). Sharon is the fertile plain between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, stretching from Jaffa to the vicinity of Mount Carmel. By contrast, the Valley of Achor is one of the most barren regions that lead up from the region of Jericho toward the central ridge. It is chiefly associated with the stoning of Achan and his family (Joshua 7:24-26). But even a barren region like the Valley of Achor will turn into a resting place for God’s people. In the final analysis, the destiny of the righteous of the TaNaKh is to survive and inherit the Land.

For those Jews who rejected Yeshua Messiah there was nothing left but judgment. But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget My holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls or mixed wine for Destiny (65:11). The sin of Jews is seen here before their national salvation at the end of the Great Tribulation. They forsook ADONAI and forgot His holy mountain, they spread a table of food before a false god named Fortune and filled bowls of mixed wine for a false god named Destiny. These are proper names of two gods of the occult that were worshiped for their supposed ability to know the future. To please them, food and drink were set before them.

Because of the Israelites rejection during the time of trouble for Jacob (Jeremiah 30:7), God will say: I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter (65:12a). These next four lines of Hebrew text are almost identical with 66:4b. The only difference is that here apostate Jews are in view, and there apostate Gentiles are the target of God’s wrath. For I have called you but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in My sight and chose what displeases Me (65:12b). The LORD said that because the apostate Jews had sought to control their own destiny, they are destined to die by the sword. The word for bend down in this verse is a play on words for spread a table in the previous verse. There is an ironic association for them to bend down to spread a table for the false gods and bending over the slaughter block to die by the sword. They refused to listen to ADONAI and deliberately chose to go on sinning (66:4), so the destiny of the faithless Jews will be destruction.

The same distinction is made in the visible church and the true Church. Not everyone who sits in Church is a believer. Who knows? Only the LORD Himself and we cannot judge. When Jesus Christ comes, He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of people’s hearts (First Corinthians 4:5). A church or messianic synagogue is merely a place for the wounded of this world to gather together and hopefully meet their God. But sitting in church does not make you a believer any more than sitting in the garage makes you a car. ADONAI knows His true Church (John 10:25-29), and those who are playing church, and as with the Jews, those who believe have eternal life (John 6:37-40), and fellowship with Yeshua Messiah; while those who do not will be sentenced to eternal punishment (Matthew 13:36-43), and separation from God.

ADONAI continues to answer the fervent prayer of the righteous remnant. In a series of beautiful balanced pairings, ADONAI pronounces judgment on sinners by contrasting their spiritual condition with that of those who are truly His servants. My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame (65:13). The Contrasting figures used here are typical for blessing and cursing. To be blessed is to have enough to eat and drink, to have reason to rejoice and sing out of a glad heart (Deuteronomy 28:47; Judges 19:6 and 28, Esther 1:10). To be cursed is to suffer hunger and thirst, to be ashamed and in despair with a broken heart. My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit (65:14). Obedience is what marks the servants of God, no matter what their bloodlines may be. Therefore, ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins had not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning Isra’el.

The contrast between the destiny of the rebels and the servants of the LORD at the end of the Great Tribulation continue here. My chosen (My servants) will use your name as a curse – May Adonai ELOHIM strike you dead! The plural word you since 65:11 suddenly changes to you-singular. Divine judgment will fall individually with its inevitable outcome of death (James 1:13-15). But, in contrast to the name that received a curse, the LORD’s servants (My chosen) will be given another name (Isaiah 65:15 CJB, also see Revelation 2:17c), indicating the gift of a new nature and the inheritance of the promises of ADONAI (Genesis 17:2-8).

The LORD’s chosen people, the Jews, will point unbelieving Gentiles to Messiah during the millennial Kingdom to be saved. While their new name will be important to them (Revelation 2:17), the name of ADONAI will be more important. While the rebels will leave their name as a curse, interestingly enough, the Bible does not say that the name of His chosen servants will be used as a blessing. Rather, their focus will be on the God of truth, Yeshua Messiah. The reputation and character of His chosen people will not draw praise to themselves, but point to Jesus Christ ruling and reigning from Jerusalem. Thus someone on earth who blesses himself will bless himself by the God of truth. And millions and millions of those unbelieving Gentiles will be saved as a result (see 65:20). Thus, when someone on earth who swears loyalty they will swear by the God of truth (65:16a CJB).

At that point Jesus says: I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more, for past troubles will be forgotten, hidden from My eyes (Isaiah 65:16b CJB, Jeremiah 31:34c, Psalm 103:12). The old will have passed away – behold, all things have become new (Second Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5).

Keep Your Distance, Don’t Come Near Me
Because I am Holier Than You
65: 1-7

Keep your distance, don’t come near me because I am holier than you DIG: Who is receiving the grace here? Jews or Gentiles? Who is being temporarily set aside for a time? These verses depict the practice of spiritual adultery. How does God react to these practices? Why did judgment have to come upon Isra’el? Although her sin of idolatry is the focus here, what other sins have led up to judgment (see 59:9-12, 58:3-4, 59:3-4)? How might these sins all stem from the practice of idolatry?

REFLECT: When have you been so caught up with chasing after modern “idols” that you have been unable to hear God calling you? What did it take for Him to finally break through and get your attention? Is there any area of your life today where God is holding out His hands, calling, “Here am I?” How will you respond?

The fervent prayer of the believing remnant in Chapter 64 is answered by God in Chapters 65 and 66. ADONAI makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness were responsible for the judgment they had endured during the Great Tribulation.

Constantly reaching out to Isra’el, ADONAI revealed Himself to those who did not even ask for that revelation. He said: I revealed Myself to Gentiles who did not ask for Me; I was found by Gentiles who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call on My name, I said, “Here am I, here am I” (65:1). When Isaiah wants to emphasize something, he uses this doubling. Isaiah also quotes Deuteronomy 32:21 which is a parallel to this verse. They made Me jealous by what is no god and angered Me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. God was going to provoke Isra’el to jealousy by those who are not a people, or the Church. It is not a nationality, or a nation, but is composed of every tribe and language, and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). So the prediction is that the Gentiles will be brought into the Kingdom of God while Isra’el will be temporarily set aside (Romans 11).

When Paul traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they went down to Troas. During the night he had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:6-10). However, when he reached Macedonia he didn’t find a man wanting to hear the Gospel, but a woman named Lydia. On the Sabbath, Paul, Silas and Timothy went to the river to find a place of prayer. They sat down and began to speak to the Gentile women doing their washing. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message of salvation, and since they were down at the river she and the members of her household were baptized immediately (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click By – Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi). Therefore, Paul quotes Isaiah 65:1-2 in Romans 10:20-21, showing that the TaNaKh predicted a period of time when the Gentiles would be coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus while Isra’el did not.

Looking back on her long history, ADONAI states that one of the reasons that Isra’el was to be set aside is because of her sinfulness. While the Gentiles had been coming to God, Isra’el had been in rebellion. God laments at the indifference of Isra’el to His calling. The LORD gave the Gospel first to the Jew, then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16). But Isra’el failed to respond. In response to the faithful remnant’s prayers, the LORD said: All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations (65:2). The phrase held out (spread) my hands is used elsewhere of prayer (Isaiah 1:15; First Kings 8:22). ADONAI wanted His wife to desire Him so much rather than commit spiritual adultery, that it was as if He was praying for her rather than Isra’el praying to Him! God set Isra’el aside only after she rejected Him.

On his first missionary journey, Barnabas and Paul traveled to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they went to the local synagogue where, as was the custom, they were given an opportunity to give an encouraging message. Well, they caused such a stir that on the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear them. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly, saying: We had to speak the word of God to you [Jews] first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord. And all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region (see the commentary on Acts Bo – Paul’s Message in Pisidian Antioch). Thus, God predicted a period of time called the Church Age when the Gentiles called on His name, rather than Isra’el.

God points out Israel’s history of spiritual idolatry. A people who continually provoke Me to My very face, offering sacrifices in pagan gardens (1:29, 57:5, 66:17) and burning incense on altars of brick (65:3). As ADONAI looks back at her long history, the LORD points out to the believing remnant that the Jews had continually provoked Him with their spiritual adultery. During Isaiah’s day they had rebelled (1:2-14); during the days of Jeremiah and Ezek’iel idolatry was even practiced in the Temple itself (Ezeki’el 8); the Messiah Himself said to them: Woe to you, teachers of the Torah and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness (Matthew 23:27-28); and during the first three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation the Jews had supposedly worshiped in the wicked Tribulation Temple (see Ks – The Rejection of the Tribulation Temple). Consequently, during her long, sad history, Isra’el continually provoked God with her spiritual adultery.

Isra’el was continually involved with witchcraft. Consequently, God addresses them as those who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil (65:4a, also see 8:19). The Jews in the time of Isaiah were guilty of necromancy, or supposedly communicating with the dead through a medium while sitting among the graves! He chastised those who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat (65:4b; 66:3 and 17). In addition, they were guilty of eating grossly unclean food. It is interesting to note that during the Talmudic period and up to today that these types of things have been prevalent among the Jewish people. In the Hebrew prayer book, praying for the dead is still practiced today. There are concepts in Jewish thinking, like the “evil eye” concept, that come out of the occult because there is nothing biblical about it. This is merely a partial list of the reasons for Isra’el’s rejection. One by one, they broke all of the 613 commandments of the Torah.

On the one hand Isra’el have been in a state of disobedience, yet she had a pride that she was holier than others were. She had said: Keep your distance, don’t come near me because I am holier than you (65:5a CJB). We would say, they have a “holier than thou” attitude. Even today secular Jews look down upon messianic Jews and Christians because they think we are involved in polytheism, while they themselves have been involved in spiritual adultery down through the centuries. ADONAI tells the Jews at the end of the Great Tribulation, that as a consequence of their religious arrogance they had become as repulsive and irritating to Him as smoke in My nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day (65:5b). The LORD’s punishment did come and God’s wrath will be moved against their sin.

See, it stands written before Me, I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back in a righteous and holy manner into their laps – both of your sins and the sins of your fathers, says the LORD (65:6-7a). ADONAI will continue to speak until Israel’s affliction is complete. For all the Jews still alive at the end of the Great Tribulation, judgment will preceded deliverance. In the whole land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This one-third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name and I will answer them; I will say, “They are My people, and they will say, “ADONAI is our God” (Zechariah 13:8-9).

Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defiled Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment of the Great Tribulation for their former deeds (65:7). There is no suggestion that the faithful remnant was punished for the sins of their ancestors. Rather, the point is one of continuity, just as Jesus said to the people of His day, Jerusalem has always killed the prophets and is just about to do so again (Luke 13:34-35). For far too long, Isra’el was just going through the motions of their religious duties, but their hearts were far from God. They practiced wickedness as easily as they practiced the rituals in the Temple. But in reality, they cursed ADONAI.

This was a picture of the Gentiles receiving favor from the LORD, coming to a saving knowledge of Yeshua Messiah, while at the very same time Isra’el has been totally set aside. The consequences of her sin had to be faced. God would pay her back through the judgment of the Great Tribulation for her idolatrous worship.

God’s Plan for Isra’el
65: 1-25

Here we have the divine answer to the prayers and pleas in the preceding chapter. A distinction is made between the loyal servants of ADONAI and the provoking rebels. God describes His plan for Isra’el in Chapter 65 and the rebirth of Isra’el in Chapter 66. In both of these chapters distinctions will be made between the believing remnant within the nation and the nation as a whole as in 63:16. But You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Isra’el does not acknowledge us; You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from of old is Your name. The believing remnant is in a unique position. Abraham does not know this remnant because they are well beyond his time; on the other hand, the nation of Isra’el at the end of the Great Tribulation does not know them either. But as a result of the prayers of the believing remnant we are going to see the tables turned in Chapters 65 and 66. It will be this believing remnant that will find itself to be the true Isra’el, the apple of His Eye (Deuteronomy 32:10b). Chapter 65 is an outline of the plan of God during three periods; the Dispensation of Grace (verses 1-7), the Great Tribulation (verses 8-16), and the Messianic Kingdom (verses 17-25).

All Our Righteous Acts Are Like Filthy Rags
64: 5-12

All our righteous acts are like filthy rags DIG: Why do the Jews realize that they must confess their sin before Yeshua can return? Why does the faithful remnant need mercy? What is the difference between mercy and grace? How does Isra’el confessing her sins in 59:1-15a parallel Isra’el confessing her sins in 63:7 to 64:11?

All our righteous act are like filthy rags REFLECT: Was there a time when all your righteous acts were like dry leaves or filthy rags because you lacked humility or did not call upon the name of the LORD? What did you do? In that case, what hope do you have that He will relate to you with mercy and grace (Romans 3:21-26)? Learning from Isaiah, choose one area of your own prayer life, which might benefit from attention: repentance, faith, zeal, relationship, boldness, humility, contentedness, or concern for God’s honor. How will you strengthen this area?

These verses contain Israel’s prayer at the end of the Great Tribulation that brings about the Second Coming of Christ. The actual words of this prayer are found in four key passages of Scripture, first, in Psalm 79:1-13, secondly in Psalm 80:1-19, thirdly in Isaiah 53:1-9, and 63-7 ending here. Isra’el will finally recognize her hopeless condition. The spiritual scales fall from her eyes and she will see that it was ADONAI bringing her to a place where she could no longer rely upon the antichrist or herself, but instead, the only place left for her to look was up – to Him. You come to help those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways (64:5a). Come is in the perfect tense, showing a future so certain, that Isaiah views it as having already taken place. The believing remnant now remembers that God’s favor in the past was based upon their righteousness (Deut 28). But instead of claiming righteousness, Isra’el confesses that she had continued to sin against God’s ways. And because of her great sin, which continued for centuries, God was justifiably angry (64:5b).

So they ask the question: How can we be saved (64:5c)? The answer is of course, to confess their sin and to cry out to the LORD for mercy (64:8-12). They see themselves as totally unclean. All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (64:6a). Unclean was the leper’s cry. It spoke of unfitness for the fellowship of God, and exclusion from His people (Leviticus 13:45). The word filthy here indicates rags that soak up menstrual blood. Bodily fluids were considered a defilement (see the commentary on Leviticus, to see link click Cn – Female Menstrual Uncleanness), because they were the outflow of a sinful, fallen human nature. They will see themselves as very mortal at the end of the Great Tribulation. We all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away (64:6b). Just as an old, dry shriveled up leaf is helpless before the wind, so we can become captive to sin and are no more able to choose our direction than a leaf in the wind. The sin seems to take on a life of its own (James 1:13-15). We think we can control it, but it ends up controlling us. Even worse, it cuts us off from God. The Psalmist declares that the wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away (Psalm 1:4).

The Israelites also admit that no one calls on Your name or strives to lay hold of You (64:7a). The evidence of their hopeless condition will be that no one is even concerned enough about their spiritual condition to cry out to the LORD for help. Finally, they understand that God has hidden His face from them, and made them waste away because of their sins (64:7b). Rabbi Shaul wrote about how God gives sinners over to the sin they have chosen (Romans 1:18-24). So all their best thinking had gotten Isra’el was a covenant with the antichrist who had the faithful remnant pinned down at Bozrah (63:1-6). It took a lot of pain and suffering but at last she had a moment of spiritual clarity and confessed her sin of rejecting Yeshua Messiah (64:5-7). After admitting her sin, she will then cry out for mercy (64:8-12).

LORD, You have cared for us, your children, as a loving Father, providing discipline, direction, and encouragement. When earthly fathers fail us, You remain steadfast, molding us with Your everlasting love.

The final part of the prayer by the faithful remnant is a confession of trust in the LORD. But now, ADONAI, You are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter (Romans 9:20-21); we are all the work of Your hands (64:8 CJB). When the remnant finally has spiritual eyes to see, they will be like obedient children, and as submissive as clay (29:16, 45:9). She sees God as her Father and herself as the work of His hand. He is the Potter, the one who creates. When a man makes a pretty vase, in a sense, he is the father of it because he created it. The LORD is Israel’s Father in the sense that He is responsible for her existence. It is as though the believing remnant were saying to God, “Although our sin cannot be denied, neither can the fact that You are our Father.

Paul makes this distinction in his speech in Athens: For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said: We are His offspring. Therefore, since we are the LORD’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill (Acts 17:28-29). From the Bible, we understand that ADONAI is our Father by creation, but mankind lost that image. You and I can become the children of God (John 1:12) only through adoption (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith). All the people in the world are not brothers and sisters. There are only two families in the world; the family of God and the family of Satan. If you aren’t in one, you’re not in the other. You will either be eternally blessed or eternally condemned depending on which spiritual family you are in.

But then the believing remnant will pray for ADONAI’s anger to cease and to look upon them as His own. They will ask forgiveness of their iniquities: Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people (64:9). The faithful remnant had already suffered the wrath of God for the last three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation. Two-thirds of them had died (Zechariah 13:8). Now they plead for mercy that their well-deserved discipline not be carried out beyond measure. This is a major theme in Isaiah. God’s judgment will fall on sinful people; there is a point where it cannot be averted. Nonetheless, judgment is not an end to itself. Its ultimate purpose is to restore the of people of ADONAI to purity (4:2-6, 30:18-22, 54:7-8). Therefore, the faithful remnant, like the psalmist who said: Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer (Psalm 27:7), will pray that God remembers them in light of His unending love, not in light of their unending sin (79:8).

ADONAI wants us to be just like Jesus. Isn’t that good news? You aren’t stuck with today’s personality. You aren’t condemned to be the thing that you dislike about yourself the most. You are tweakable. Even if you’ve worried each day of your life, you don’t have to worry the rest of your life. So what if you were born to be negative. You don’t have to die that way.

Where do we get this idea that we can’t change? Where do we get the statements like, “It’s just my nature to worry,” or “I’ll always be pessimistic. I’m just that way.” Well who says? Would we talk like that about our bodies? “It’s just my nature to have a broken leg. I can’t do anything about it.” Of course not. If our bodies fall apart, we look for help. Shouldn’t we do the same with our hearts? Shouldn’t we seek first aid for our sour attitudes? Can’t we ask for treatment for our selfish tirades? Of course we can. Jesus can change our hearts. He wants us to have a heart like His.

Earlier, Isaiah declared that Jerusalem would no longer be spoken of as abandoned or the LORD’s land be spoken of as desolate, but rather Zion would be called My delight is in her and the Land married (62:4a). Here, the believing remnant is acknowledging the fact that Jerusalem had been made desolate by the Gentile nations after three-and-a-half years warfare between the Jews and the antichrist (Kh – The Eight Stage Campaign of the Battle of Armageddon: the Fall of Jerusalem), and between the antichrist and ADONAI. Your sacred cities have become a desert as a result of the attacks from the antichrist; even Zion is a desert, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and glorious Temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins (64:10-11). As a result, the Temple was still defiled.

All the hopes and anxieties of the faithful remnant are finally summed up in two questions: After all this, O LORD, will You hold Yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure (64:12)? The word after suggests a chronological order of time . . . like, after these things happened. But the Hebrew word after means in response to such events. Can God keep silent in light of the fact that the Gentiles have devastated the Land and the Temple? In that Isra’el had confessed her sins in general and her national sin of the rejection of Yeshua in particular, could ADONAI keep silent after all this? The answer is no.

Therefore, the events of Chapter 62:1 through Chapter 63:6 are going to be brought about by Israel’s national confession of sin. The remnant will declare that God’s sacred cities have become a desert; even Zion is a desert, and even Jerusalem had become a desolation. But back in Chapter 62:4, the LORD had said that Isra’el would no longer be called Abandoned, but will be called My delight is in her. So the change from Abandoned to My delight is in her, is going to come about by Isra’el’s national confession of sin and the Second Coming of the Messiah.

Come Down to Make Your Name Known,
and Cause the Nations to Quake
64: 1-4

Come down to make your name known, and cause the nations to quake DIG: Why is the plea necessary? What is the believing remnant asking Messiah to do? What earthquake does Isaiah point to? How do we know these events are sure to take place? What was the LORD waiting for? What else needs to be done?

REFLECT: Where in your prayer life now do you wish God would do something? Who is waiting on who? Do you think you are waiting on ADONAI, or is He waiting on you? How does that affect your prayers? If you were in the same position as the believing remnant at the end of the Great Tribulation, how urgent would your prayers be? How urgent is your prayer life now? What is the difference?

These verses contain Isra’el’s prayer at the end of the Great Tribulation that brings about the Second Coming of Christ. The actual words of this prayer are found in four key passages of Scripture, first, in Psalm 79:1-13, secondly in Psalm 80:1-19, thirdly in Isaiah 53:1-9, and lastly here. They will plead for forgiveness and implore ADONAI to return for two days, then on the third day (Hosea 6:1-3), Messiah comes back with the title deed to the earth in His hand (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ce – The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David has Triumphed). The plea continues from 63:7. The believing remnant cries out: Oh, that You would rend the heavens (the sky is pictured as a piece of cloth that He would tear) and come down, and make His presence known in such a way that the mountains would tremble before You (64:1)! Zechariah 14 clearly points out that a major earthquake will accompany the Second Coming. The reason for the plea is to ask that the armies of the world who are gathered against Him will quake before Him. Isaiah uses the prophetic tense. That is, an event that is so sure to happen that God sees it as already having taken place.

As when a fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make Your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before You (64:2)! Throughout the Bible, from Genesis 3:24 through Revelation 20:9, fire is intimately associated with the presence of the holy God. In no book is that more true than this one (4:5, 6:6, 9:5, 10:16, 29:6, 30:27 and 30, 31:9, 33:12 and 14, 66;15-16, 24). Just as fire makes water boil, so the presence of God will make the nations tremble. Today the Gentile nations are not conscious of the existence of ADONAI. However, as the end of the age approaches I think there will be a very real consciousness that the LORD is getting ready to break through. There was that consciousness throughout the world at the time of the birth of Christ, and several Roman historians have called attention to that fact. This is always the purpose of God’s self-revelation; that the world might know Him.

Then there is a reference to the past. For when you did awesome things (Exodus 15:11, 34:10, Deuteronomy 4:11-12, 10:21; Second Samuel 7:23; Psalm 106:22) that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled before You when God gave the Torah (64:3). The same thing will happen when He returns at the end of the Great Tribulation (see Kh – The Eight Stage Campaign of Armageddon: The Victory Ascent Upon the Mount of Olives). After the actual fighting is completed, Yeshua will physically place His feet upon the Mount of Olives. With the seventh bowl completed, a voice cries out: It has happened. This declaration will be followed by convulsions of nature including the greatest earthquake ever to occur in the history of the earth (Zechariah 14:4b-5). This will cause the city of Jerusalem to split into three divisions.

The principle is this: Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait on Him (64:4). This reveals that the LORD and only the LORD acts on behalf of those who wait on Him (25:9, 30:18, 33:2, 40:31). Remembering this, the believing remnant would ask God to act on their behalf. They had waited long enough. In truth, they had waited for far too long. It was time, and Isra’el is God’s timepiece. Paul understood the urgency of that day when he wrote: And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12).

In addition, Paul quotes this Isaiah 64:4 in First Corinthians 2:9, when he said: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. In the next verse he goes on to say: But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit (First Corinthians 2:10). Verse 9 is obviously a quote from Isaiah, but verse 10 tells us that in our day Ruach ha-Kodesh will reveal things to us. But those during the Great Tribulation, will have to wait until Messiah comes back. ADONAI was waiting for Isra’el to repent, and that is exactly what they do next.

Return for the Sake of Your Servants,
the Tribes of Your Inheritance
63: 15-19

Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance DIG: Who is the remnant? Where are they? Why? How are they different now than in the past? What has changed their attitude toward God?

REFLECT: When you pray, do you express to ADONAI the full range and intensity of your emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, doubt, fear)? Or do you go through the motions? Have you ever wanted to say something like, “Lord, return for the sake of Your servants?” Why? Why not?

These verses contain Isra’el’s prayer at the end of the Great Tribulation that brings about the Second Coming of Christ. The actual words of this prayer are found in four key passages of Scripture, first, in Psalm 79, secondly in Psalm 80, thirdly in Isaiah 53:1-9, and lastly here. As the armies of the antichrist close in around them, one third of the Israelites, those that are left (Zechariah 13:8), will cry out to Jesus Christ to return and save them.

When the Israelites left Egypt at the time of the Exodus, Pharaoh’s army bore down on them. God had told Moses: I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD (Exodus 14:4). As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to ADONAI (Exodus 14: 10). But they did so in unbelief. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die” (Exodus 14:11)? Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance God will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13).

The Israelites at the end of the Great Tribulation will face the same situation, but this time they will respond in faith. The LORD will again fight for them; they only need to be still. As they cry out to Jesus Christ, they say: Look down from heaven and see from Your lofty throne, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and your might? Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us (63:15). They begin to pray for God to look down from heaven and take note of their situation. They appeal for ADONAI to use His zeal and might as He did in the past. Their wish was that the mighty acts of the Exodus (Exodus 14:26-31; Deuteronomy 4:32-38; Psalm 44:1-2) be repeated at the time of Isra’el’s final restoration. They plead to God to show His tenderness and compassion toward Isra’el as He had in the past.

This is an appeal for mercy to God as Father, Abba, and redeemer, recalling His compassionate dealings with Jacob in the past. In Egypt He claimed: Isra’el is My firstborn (Exodus 4:22), pledged Himself to redeem you with an outstretched arm (Exodus 6:6-7), and declared that His name the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, was eternally true (Exodus 3:15). But You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Jacob acknowledge us (63:16a). Although they had been blinded by their sin and not been following in the teaching of the Torah, ADONAI was still their Father and Redeemer.

You, ADONAI, are our Abba, Father (63:16b): The relationship we have with our Father is one of intimacy and familiarity, awe and respect, obedience and delight. Our Father loves to hear us call His name. He takes great delight in us and when we are troubled, He will quiet us with His loving arms. What a privilege it is to be a child of God.

The concept of God the Father in the TaNaKh was never used individually, only collectively as a group or a nation (Deuteronomy 32:6 and Isaiah 9:6). But they even felt cut off from the nation. Although every good Jew calls Abraham their father, they will feel like even Abraham would not know them because of their unfaithfulness. Two thirds of the nation of Isra’el throughout the Great Tribulation will be apostate (Zechariah 13:8-9). Yet even though they felt like Abraham would not know them and Jacob would not acknowledge them because of their unfaithfulness, they knew ADONAI was their Father from ancient times. He has proven Himself to be faithful to them in the past. Would He now let His people perish from the face of the earth? Would He allow Satan the final victory? Would He allow His name to be put to shame? Certainly not. He will do whatever is necessary to protect and preserve the great name He has made for Himself.

He is also their Go’ali, or their Redeemer. They cry out: Our Redeemer from of old is Your name (63:16c). What was the relationship of the remnant to God? The one third that will remain faithful to ADONAI will begin to make their plea for Yeshua Messiah to return. Why, O LORD, do you make us wander from Your ways, and harden our hearts so we do not revere you (63:17a)? This is not an attempt to lay the blame for their sin on God, rather a recognition that their guilt is such that He had no option but to drive them from Him because He is a holy God who cannot tolerate sin in His presence. Likewise, harden our hearts does not blame the LORD for their sin. We must remember ADONAI hardened Pharaoh’s heart only after the Egyptian king hardened his own heart (Exodus 9:12).

But they are not finished yet; they have one more basis for appeal: Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes that are Your inheritance (63:17b). This is the ancient language of the Exodus and the conquest of the Land by Joshua. Yes, God might have given them the Promised Land as their heritage, but they were His heritage (Deuteronomy 4:20), the apple of His eye (32:10)! Could ADONAI now refuse to rescue His people, His heritage, in their time of need? This is the prayer of intercession, the passionate entering into the needs of those for whom we are praying, and a storming of the gates of heaven with every tool we can use. Why? Because God is callous and uncaring? No, because we are callous and uncaring, and until our passion is in some small way connected to the great passion of the LORD, His power is in some way restrained. This seems almost unimaginable, but the testimony of history and of Scripture confirms it.²⁵⁴

For a little while Your people possessed Your holy place, but now our enemies have trampled down Your sanctuary (63:18). The final reason that they were pleading for Jesus to return and to save them will be because of the Abomination of Desolation in the wicked Tribulation Temple (Dani’el 11:31 and Second Thessalonians 2:1-4). They had signed a seven-year covenant with the antichrist (Dani’el 9:27) when everything seemed to be going smoothly before the Great Tribulation began. But after three and a half years, the antichrist set up an image of himself in the Most Holy Place and demanded to be worshiped as God (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Dn – All Inhabitants of the Earth will Worship the Beast). They thought they had been offering sacrifices to God, but they had only been fooling themselves. As a result, their enemies had trampled down their phony sanctuary (Revelation 11:1-2). So they plead that ADONAI would forgive and save them by returning.

We are Yours from of old; but You have not ruled over us, and we have not been called by Your name because of our sin (63:19). But if He did not return and save them, what would the world say about Him? The world would surely conclude that the stories about Isra’el’s glorious past were lies. They would say that the LORD had never ruled over Isra’el; they would say that Isra’el had never been truly called by God’s name. Is this what ADONAI wants? Does He want the world to have this false impression? Of course not. Then what is the implied solution? First, confess their sin (First John 1:8-10), then plead for the Second Coming.

At that point they completely surrender to ADONAI. This should be the attitude of every believer today – complete yielding to God. Most of us are afraid to give the LORD the steering wheel of our lives because we are afraid He will be hard on us. He wants to be gentile with us if we will give Him a chance. But we must never forget that He is also a holy God of judgment. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) who is coming to the earth to trample the winepress of His wrath (63:3-6). He is not trying to scare you; He is trying to save you from the wrath that is to come.