Isaiah 66:21

And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD. And I will also take of them - the Gentiles. For priests, (and) for Levites - for spiritual worship; enjoying the direct access to God, which was formerly enjoyed by the ministers of the temple alone (; )....

21._And I will even take some of them for priests and Levites. _The Prophet heightens the description of that which he had already declared about the extraordinary grace of God. He had made known that the Church of God should be collected out of all nations, so that, in spite of every difficulty and obstruction, even distant nations should draw near to them. But now he proceeds further, and instructs them that the Gentiles shall not only be adopted by God, but shall also be elevated by him to the highest honor. Already it was a great honor, that unclean and polluted nations were reckoned to be a holy people; but now here is something far more wonderful, that they are elevated to the highest pinnacle of rank. Hence we see that the priesthood under Christ is very different from what it was under the Law; for under the Law one tribe exclusively was admitted to the priesthood, and the Gentil...

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...

Verse Isaiah 66:21. _AND FOR LEVITES_] For ללוים _laleviyim_, fifty-nine MSS., (eight ancient,) have וללוים _velaleviyim_, adding the conjunction ו _vau_, which the sense seems necessarily to require: and so read all the ancient versions. See Joshua 3:3, and the various readings on that place in _Kennicott's_ Bible....

AND I WILL ALSO TAKE OF THEM FOR PRIESTS - I will give to them an honorable place in my public service; that is, I will make them ministers of religion as if they were priests and Levites. This cannot be taken literally - because the priests and Levites among the Jews were determined by law, and by regular genealogical descent, and there was no provision for substituting any in their place. But it must mean that under the condition of things described here, those who should be brought from the distant pagan world would perform the same offices in the service of God which had been performed formerly by the priests and Levites that is, they would be ministers of religion. The services of God would no longer be performed by the descendants of Aaron, or be limited to them, but would be performed by others who should be called to this office from the pagan world....

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

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 tribe of Levi; nor is this to be understood of the spiritual priesthood common to all believers, 1 Peter 2:5 since of those converted Gentiles brought, not all, but only some of them, would be taken for priests; and therefore can only be interpreted of the ministers of the word, who, in Old Testament language, are called priests, though never in the New Testament; but elders, bishops, overseers, pastors, and teachers. The first preachers of the Gospel were Jews, as the twelve apostles, the seventy disciples, Paul and Barnabas, and others; but when the Gospel was preached, and churches planted in t...

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

THEM. i.e. Israel. PRIESTS AND FOR LEVITES. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 17:9). See notes on Ezekiel 43:19; Ezekiel 44:10; Ezekiel 44:13; Ezekiel 44:15. App-92. PRIESTS. Thus completing the fulfilment of Exodus 19:6. AND. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read this "and" in the text....