INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 66 This chapter treats of the same things as the former, the rejection of the unbelieving Jews, and the regard had to them that did believe; the conversion of that people in the latter day; the calling of the Gentiles, and the happy state of the church in the last times. The... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, THE HEAVEN IS MY THRONE,.... The third heaven, the heaven of heavens, where angels and glorified saints are, and some in bodies, as Enoch and Elijah, and where now Christ is in human nature; this is the seat of the divine Majesty, where he in a most illustrious manner displays h... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ALL THOSE THINGS HATH MINE HAND MADE,.... The heavens and the earth, which are his throne and footstool; and therefore, since he is the Creator of all things, he must be immense, omnipresent, and cannot be included in any space or place: AND ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN, SAITH THE LORD; or "are... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT KILLETH AN OX, IS AS IF HE SLEW A MAN,.... Not that killed the ox of his neighbour, which, according to law, he was to pay for; or that killed one for food, which was lawful to be done; but that slew one, and offered it as a sacrifice; not blamed because blind or lame, or had any blemish in... [ Continue Reading ]
I ALSO WILL CHOOSE THEIR DELUSIONS,.... Suffer them to approve and make choice of such persons that should delude and deceive them; as the Scribes and Pharisees, who were wolves in sheep's clothing, and through their appearance of sanctity deceived many, and by their long prayers devoured widows' ho... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD, YE THAT TREMBLE AT HIS WORD,.... This is said to the comfort of the believing Jews, who are thus described; Isaiah 66:2: YOUR BRETHREN THAT HATED YOU, THAT CAST YOU OUT FOR MY NAME'S SAKE; as the unbelieving Jews, the Pharisees; and so Jarchi interprets it of the children... [ Continue Reading ]
A VOICE OF NOISE FROM THE CITY,.... From the city of Jerusalem, as the Targum; so Kimchi, who says, that in the days of the Messiah shall go out of Jerusalem the voice of noise concerning Gog and Magog: this indeed respects the days of the Messiah, but such as are now past, and a voice of crying in... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE SHE TRAVAILED, SHE BROUGHT FORTH,.... That is, Zion, as appears from the following verse: lest it should be thought that the interest of Christ would be swallowed up and lost in the destruction of the Jews, this, and what follows, are said concerning the conversion of many of that people, bot... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO HATH HEARD SUCH A THING? WHO HATH SEEN SUCH THINGS?.... Such numerous conversions, as after related; suggesting that they were wonderful and surprising, unheard of, what had never been seen in the world before, and which were amazing and astonishing to the church herself; see Isaiah 49:21, SHAL... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL I BRING TO THE BIRTH, AND NOT CAUSE TO BRING FORTH, SAITH THE LORD?.... Or, "to the place of breaking" forth of children, as in Hosea 13:13, the womb, and the mouth of it: or, "shall I break or open" that, so some s render it; lest too much should or seem to be attributed to the Church, she b... [ Continue Reading ]
REJOICE YE WITH JERUSALEM, AND BE GLAD WITH HER,.... The church; she bringing forth so many spiritual children to Christ; just as, when a woman is delivered of a child, her friends and neighbours congratulate her upon it, and rejoice with her on that account; as Elisabeth's neighbours and relations... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE MAY SUCK, AND BE SATISFIED WITH THE BREAST OF HER CONSOLATIONS,.... This, according to our version, expresses the end of the church's friends being called together to rejoice with her, that they might partake of her joys and comforts, delights and pleasures: but the words may be better rende... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD, BEHOLD, I WILL EXTEND PEACE TO HER LIKE A RIVER,.... As the river Euphrates, so the Targum; or as the Nile, which overflowed Egypt, and made it fruitful; or as any flowing river, large and spreading, continuing to flow, and brings blessings with it where it comes; and so den... [ Continue Reading ]
AS ONE WHOM HIS MOTHER COMFORTETH, SO WILL I COMFORT YOU,.... Though ordinances are means, and ministers are instruments of comfort, God is the sole efficient cause of it; and very wonderful it is that he should condescend to administer it, since he is an immense and infinite Being, the high and lof... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN YE SEE THIS,.... All the above things prophesied of come to pass; the conversion of the Jews; the peaceable and prosperous condition of the church of Christ; and perceive, feel, and enjoy the comforts of God in an experimental manner: YOUR HEART SHALL REJOICE; for nothing can be matter of... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR, BEHOLD, THE LORD WILL COME WITH FIRE,.... Either with material fire, with which mystical Babylon or Rome shall be burnt, Revelation 18:8, or with indignation and wrath, which shall be poured out like fire, and be as intolerable and consuming as that: AND WITH HIS CHARIOTS LIKE A WHIRLWIND; ma... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR BY FIRE, AND BY HIS SWORD, WILL THE LORD PLEAD WITH ALL FLESH,.... With the Mahometans, the Turks, the Ottoman empire, against whom he will call for a sword, and will rain upon them fire and brimstone, signified by Gog and Magog, Ezekiel 38:22 and with the other antichristian powers at the battl... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT SANCTIFY THEMSELVES,.... This is a description of the enemies of the Lord, and of his people, who shall be slain at this time; not who are sanctified by the Spirit and grace of God, but who sanctify themselves, pretend to make themselves holy, and give out that they are holier than others;... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I KNOW THEIR WORKS, AND THEIR THOUGHTS,.... That is, of the persons before described; their evil works and thoughts, which are known to Christ the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, whose eyes are as a flame of fire to pierce and penetrate into them, Revelation 2:18 or, "as for... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SET A SIGN AMONG THEM,.... Either a miraculous sign, something wonderful, as the word is often used, Exodus 4:8, not the effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, in the presence of men of all nations; or the miracles wrought in the Gentile world by the apostles, in confirmation of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL BRING ALL YOUR BRETHREN, FOR AN OFFERING UNTO THE LORD, OUT OF ALL NATIONS,.... This is not said of the Jews, either with respect to the first times of the Gospel; not of the devout men of all nations that heard the apostles on the day of Pentecost; nor of those the Gospel met with in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL ALSO TAKE OF THEM FOR PRIESTS,.... That is, of the Gentiles, the brethren brought as an offering to the Lord; and therefore must respect Gospel times, when the Aaronic priesthood would be changed and cease, which admitted not of Gentiles, nor any of any other tribe in Israel, but the trib... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS THE NEW HEAVENS, AND THE NEW EARTH, WHICH I WILL MAKE,.... Not "have made"; for this is not to be understood of the heavens and the earth made new in the beginning, and which continue so without any change or alteration; though sometimes the perpetuity of the church, which is here predicted,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT FROM ONE NEW MOON TO ANOTHER,.... Or, "from month in its months" q, The Targum is, "in the time of the beginning of the "month in its month";'' that is, in every day of the month; or rather every month: AND FROM ONE SABBATH TO ANOTHER; the form of expressions the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL GO FORTH,.... That is, those constant and spiritual worshippers shall go forth from the holy mountain Jerusalem, the church of God, whither they are brought as an offering to the Lord, and where they worship him; for this is not to be understood of going out of Jerusalem literally, as... [ Continue Reading ]