Isaiah 66

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:14

Your bones shall flourish like an herb (comp. Isaiah 58:11 ). In the time of calamity, Israel's "bones" have been "consumed'' ( Psalms 31:10 ), and "waxed old" ( Psalms 32:3 ), and "burned with heat" ( Job 30:30 ). Now they shall enjoy a time of refreshing from the Lord. New life shall enter them, and health and growth shall follow. The nation shall be rejuvenated, and "flourish" in more than its pristine strength. The hand of the Lord shall be known ; or recognized, both in this... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:14

The Lord's indignation; or, the Divine goodness and severity. "The hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies." Here two sides of the Divine nature are declared, which we find it difficult to conceive as harmonious in one person. It is not only true that God is gracious toward his people, and angry with the wicked; it is also true that in dealing with his people he is both gracious and severe. I. IN THE GOD OF REVELATION WE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:15

Behold, the Lord will come with fire. "Fire" is a usual accompaniment of a "theophany." God descended on Sinai "in fire" ( Exodus 19:18 ), and led the Israelites through the wilderness by the pillar of the cloud and of fire ( Exodus 13:21 , Exodus 13:22 ), and filled the tabernacle with a glory as of fire ( Exodus 40:34 ), and "answered David from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering'' ( 1 Chronicles 21:26 ), and in the same way answered Solomon ( 2 Chronicles 7:1 )... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:15-17

The purging of the earth by the destruction of the wicked. The kingdom of Christ cannot be fully set up in all its blessedness until the earth is prepared for its reception; and the main preparation required is the elimination from it of those wicked persons who, while they remain, must always constitute a disturbing element, inimical to the earth's peace and a hindrance to the Church's happiness. The teaching of Scripture is that, before the Church is finally established in the blissful... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:15-18

THE VENGEANCE WHICH GOD WILL TAKE ON HIS ENEMIES . A signal outpouring of God's vengeance upon his enemies precedes the settlement of the Church in its final glorious condition, both in Isaiah and in the Revelation of St. John (see ch. 34; 35, and Revelation 19-21.). The wicked have to be removed before the righteous can be established in peace. Here the agencies employed against the wicked are "fire" and "sword"—fire pointing (as Delitzsch remarks) to destructive occurrences... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:15-24

The manifestation of Jehovah. I. IT IS A MANIFESTATION IN FIRE . Very common is the representation of this coming by or in the element of fire. Its associations are of judgment , vengeance—devouring fire ( Psalms 50:3 ). So it is associated with the pestilence ( Habakkuk 2:5 ). It consumes God's enemies ( Psalms 97:3 ). Nor can we deny that such representations do in part enter into Christianity ( 2 Thessalonians 1:8 ; Hebrews 10:27 ; 2 Peter 3:7 ; cf. also ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:16

By fire and by his sword (see the introductory paragraph). The "sword of Jehovah" is spoken of also in Isaiah 27:1 and Isaiah 34:5 , Isaiah 34:6 (comp. Revelation 19:15 , Revelation 19:21 ). Will the Lord plead with all flesh; rather, will the Lord judge all flesh (comp. Jeremiah 25:31 , where the same phrase occurs). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:16

The slain of the Lord. While it is doubtful as to what special juncture the prophet refers when he says that" the slain of the Lord shall be many," it is painfully and practically certain that at all times these slain ones are many. For— I. THE VICTIMS OF SIN ARE THE SLAIN OF THE LORD . The laws which work the penalty they suffer are God's laws. It is under his administration that pain, weakness, impotence, trouble, sorrow, death, slay guilty souls. These are his... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:17

They that sanctify … themselves in the gardens (comp. Isaiah 1:29 ; Isaiah 65:3 ; and see the comment on the latter passage). Behind one tree in the midst; literally, behind one in the midst. It seems quite impossible that "one" can mean "one tree," when no tree has been mentioned, and gardens do not necessarily contain trees. The marginal rendering, "one after another," is also impossible. The "one in the midst" must have been either a hierophant who directed the ceremonies (Gesenius,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:17

Vain attempts to sanctify self. "They that sanctify themselves. shall be consumed together." The prophetic allusion is to those who attempted secure themselves by "fearing the Lord, and serving other gods." They wanted to secure all possible Israelite privileges, yet wanted to sanctify themselves by means of the heathen rites which were the fashion of their times. "Such a blending of incompatible elements was eminently characteristic of the reign of Manasseh." The things specially noticed... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:14

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:14

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:15

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:15-17

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:15-18

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:15-24

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:16

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:16

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:17

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 66:17

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