The End of Isaiah’s Prophecy Is. 66:1-24 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In the end of Isaiah’s prophecy, we find the Lord’s enemies destroyed, the Gentile nations subdued, the remnant returned, Israel regenerated, Jerusalem restored, and Jesus reigning. Look how these events unfold in the end of Isaiah’s prophecy:

The Servants’ Repentance – Is 66:1-2 – Israel associated God with his temple and with the contents of the Temple, like the ark [Jer 7:4, 9-15; 1 Sam 4:3] – but God fills the universe; heaven is his throne and earth is his footstool – the Lord made everything, gives life to everything, owns everything and judges everything – we should be humbled by his majesty – thus, the Lord looks to the man who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at his word [Ps 51:16-17; Ezra 9:4].

The Idolaters’ Refusal – Is 66:3-4 – to religious men, the worship of God is all about the ritualistic performance of their traditions and sacrifices – Israel does this with traditions and idolatry [Mk 7:1-13] – thus, when the Lord calls they are too occupied with their idols to hear him [Matt 13:13-16; Ezek 14:3-5] – so God sends them such strong delusion, they end up believing a lie [2 Thes 2:10-12] – the antichrist eventually reigns with his idol and their worst fears come upon them [Rev 13:13-15; Job 3:25].

The Enemies’ Recompense – Is 66:5-6 – these “religious” Jews hate Bible believing Jews and cast them out for God’s sake [Lk 6:22, Jn 9:22, 34-38] imagining that they are glorifying God [Jn 16:2] – the Lord will appear to the joy of his saints and will render recompense to his enemies that cast out the Lord’s servants.

Israel’s Regeneration – Is 66:7-9 – God said that Israel was his firstborn son in Ex 4:22 – yet Israel rebelled against God and didn’t keep his covenant with Moses – when Jesus returns, Israel is born again under the new covenant [Jn 3:3-7, Jn 4:22, Jer 31:31-34] – Israel is born again in a day – you will notice several Tribulation references to Jews travailing in birth in advance of their delivery [Ps 48:6].

Jerusalem’s Restoration – Is 66:10-14 – Jerusalem will be nearly destroyed before Jesus returns – when he returns, Jerusalem will be rebuilt into a glorious city [Is 60:10-22] – those who love her and mourn for her will rejoice – she will be nourished by the Gentile nations and blessed by the hand of the Lord – her inhabitants will live in peace and comfort.

The Lord’s Rebuke – Is 66:15-17 – the Lord will come with fire [2 Thes 1:7-9] and with chariots [Ps 68:17] and with a sword [Rev 19:15] to render his anger against his enemies – the slain of the Lord, including the idolatrous Jews, will be many.

The Remnants’ Return – Is 66:18-21 – the Lord defeats all of his enemies when he returns – those who escape death in the defeat return to their countries to proclaim the glory of the Lord – those nations return to see the glory of the Lord – and when they come, they will bring the Jews back who scattered to get away from persecution [Is 60:9] – it’s from these returned Jews that the Lord reinstates the priests and Levites [Ezek 44:9-16].

Jesus’ Reign – Is 66:22-24 – with Jesus on the throne, the Lord fulfills the promise that Israel will remain forever as a nation – all the surviving nations will come to worship before Jesus [Zech 14:16-19] – on their departure from Jerusalem, they will see the souls of all who transgressed burning as worms in hell [Mk 9:43-38].

Conclusion: The greatest hope for Israel is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ – in the meantime, they must believe the Bible, receive Jesus and refuse idolatry and religious tradition.