Isaiah 66:16

For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. For by fire, and by his sword, will the Lord plead with all flesh - `With fire will Yahweh decide the issue (nishpaaT ( H8199 )), AND WITH HIS SWORD (HE WILL DECIDE THE ISSUE WITH) ALL FLESH.' THE PARALLELISM AND COLLOCATION OF THE HEBREW WORDS REQUIRE THIS TRANSLATION ( Isaiah 65:12 _ ). _ All flesh - i:e., all who are the objects of His wrath. The godly shall be hidden by the Lord in a place of safety, away from the scene of judgment ( Isaiah 26:20 ; PSALMS 31:20;...

16._For Jehovah will judge in fire. _Here he brings forward nothing new, but merely confirms the former statement, and shews that this judgment will be dreadful; that none may think that it is a matter of small importance. Accordingly, he describes that horror in strong language, that the wicked may fear, and that believers, on the other hand, may keep themselves holy and chaste, and may withdraw from the society of the wicked. Yet let them endure patiently the unjust and cruel attacks of enemies, till the armed avenger come forth front heaven. (226) _And many shall be the slain of Jehovah. _He threatens the destruction of all men, so that there may be a prodigious mass of corpses. And he expressly added this, because ungodliness reigned everywhere, and believers were subjected to a dangerous temptation on account of the prosperity of the wicked; for such is the fickleness of our minds,...

15-24 A prophetic declaration is given of the Lord's vengeance on all enemies of his church, especially that of all antichristian opposers of the gospel in the latter days. Ver...

FOR BY FIRE AND BY HIS SWORD - The sword is an instrument by which punishment is executed (see the notes at Isaiah 34:5; compare Romans 13:4). WILL HE PLEAD WITH ALL FLESH - Or rather, he will judge (נשׁפט _nı̂sh__e__phaṭ_), that is, he will execute his purposes of vengeance on all the human race. Of course, only that part is intended who ought to be subject to punishment; that is, all his foes. AND THE SLAIN OF THE LORD SHALL BE MANY - The number of those who shall be consigned to woe shall be immense - though in the winding up of the great drama at the close of the world, there is reason to hopethat a large proportion of the race, taken as

SECTION XII.—FINAL THREATENINGS AND PROMISES (Isaiah 66:1.). EXPOSITION ISAIAH 66:1 THE UNGODLY EXILES REBUKED. Israel, being about to return from the Captivity, had the design of rebuilding the temple and re-establishing the temple worship. God rebukes this design in persons devoid of any spirit of holiness, and warns them that mere formal outward worship is an abomination to him (Isaiah 66:1). In Isaiah 66:4 he threatens them wi

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 battle of Armageddon; and when the fourth vial will be poured upon the sun, and men will be scorched with fire; see Revelation 16:8: AND THE SLAIN OF THE LORD SHALL BE MANY; that is, those that will be slain by the Lord, both in the attempt of the Turks to recover the land of Canaan out of the hands of the Jews, possessed of it; whose numbers of slain will be so many, that the burying of them will last seven months,...

CHAPTER 66 The Finale: The Two Classes and the Prophecy of Isaiah in a Retrospect 1. _The apostates and their wicked worship (Isaiah 66:1) _ 2. _The remnant suffering and encouraged (Isaiah 66:5) _ 3. _The sudden manifestation of the Lord (Isaiah 66:6) _ 4. _The nation's rebirth (Isaiah 66:7) _ 5. _Jerusalem's supremacy and glory (Isaiah 66:10) _ 6. _The warning of judgment (Isaiah 66:15) _ 7. The regathering after judgment ...

ISAIAH 66. Here divisions are hard to define. The theme the coming punishment of the apostates and the coming glory of the pious is pursued now on one side, now on the other. ISAIAH 66:1. AN ATTACK ON THE PROJECTORS OF A RIVAL TEMPLE. Those Jews who refused to accept the reformed religion apparently proposed to set up a rival temple. Yahweh scornfully demands of them in what manner of building they would house Him, whose habitation is the universe. These things a temple and a resting-place He has already made for Himself, on Zion; for despite His loftiness He ever considers the humble and obedient worshipper. As for these rebels who combine forbidden with legitimate rites, such as human sacrifice, the sacrifice of a dog without effusion of blood, the sacrificial use of swine's blood, and honouring of images, just as they choose their own perverse ways so will He choose to make t

A11 FLESH. Put by Figure of speech _Synecdoche_ (of the Part), for all mankind....

In fire and tempest the accompaniments of the theophany Jehovah will appear to take vengeance on His enemies. There is a connexion with the last clause of Isaiah 66:14 ; but the passage reads like a continuation of Isaiah 66:6. Comp. ch. Isaiah 29:6; Isaiah 30:27 ff.; Psalms 50:3....