Wrapping it up with a bang.
Just out of curiosity, I went back to find the date I posted Isaiah 1. It was in September 2021. That is almost three years ago! Yikes. One cause of that duration is that the chronological reading plan from Blue Letter Bible has interspersed multiple prophets' books, as well as II Kings, II Chronicles, Psalms, etc. But the real slow down is due to how few posts I can due during my bible study semesters. And with a new semester around the corner, I better get this book wrapped up!
I ended my previous post at verse 65:16, as it seemed to be connected to another topic from Chapters 63 and 64.
Characteristics of God's Kingdom
Chapter 65:17-25
Oh, I see a lot of direct quotes coming. This is some wonderful stuff.
“For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
Isaiah 65:17-18, ESV
I've wondered how much of this life we'll carry into heaven and it sounds like former things will be gone. What a relief.
Glad and rejoice forever. That's pretty good stuff. Jerusalem was created for gladness. I love that.
In verse 19, God also rejoices in Jerusalem- no longer having to hear our weeping and crying. That also makes me so happy. I hate to think of how much we disappoint and anger Him.
Also:
- no more infant death
- life longevity
- build you own house and getting to live there
- growing your own crops and getting to keep them
- life long enough to enjoy the hard work of our hands
- no labor in vain
- no children of calamity
- blessed offspring and descendants
Amazing.
I think this is the "1000 year Kingdom", so it sounds like there will still be death; but the life cycle will be generally blessed.
Most amazing is our closeness with God. In verse 24 He promises before we call, He will answer and before we finish speaking, He will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and dust shall be the serpent's food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.Isaiah 65:25
Oh Beautiful Day! This is what our heart yearns for. This place sounds right. This is what CS Lewis was talking about--our hearts clearly all have something better we're longing for. It must exist, but why can't any of our striving get us there. Because it's not an option right now. but it is coming. Because our God is gracious and good and kind.
Rebuke, Revive, and Rejoice
Chapter 66
Rebuke
And one more time into the breach. Through the cycle. We sin and are rebuked. We repent and are revived. He restores us and we rejoice.
I think verse 1 means that God is so far above us, it is incomprehensible to us. We can't give Him anything.
MacArthur Commentary explains that God doesn't need a building to dwell in, He is looking for heart to dwell in, someone who takes His Word seriously.
But in verse 2 He tells us that He made all of this for us, looking for a man of contrite heart, humble, and God-fearing.
Instead, in verses 3-4, He finds people who will go through the motions of the sacrifice system He has set up; but with no heart change. Not contrite, not humble, not God-fearing. They didn't listen or respond to Him. They did evil and choose against what He wanted. They will be punished.
In verse 5, God speaks to those who are God-fearing. He acknowledges that they are hated and excluded because of their relationship with God. They should glorify the Lord and He will put their enemies to shame. And in verse 6, He serves that recompense.
Rebirth
With the Second Coming of Christ, things will be different for Israel.
- Her rebirth will come with the travailing of labor
- Without pain she shall be reborn
- This is unheard of!
- Land born in a day
- A nation brought forth all at once, after so so so much struggle
Rejoice
Jerusalem has a beautiful future giving life to her children.
This who have loved and mourned her can be glad. Bountiful days are coming.
Peace like a river is coming.
Glory for her is coming.
And in that day that is coming, her people will be provided for and carried and cared for. Comforted and glad. Flourishing. Cared for by the hand of God.
While His enemies also get handled by the hand of God, but not in the warm and fuzzy way described for Jerusalem. Lots of flames and fury. Chariots and swords and blood.
All nations and tongues will be gathered to see the glory of the Lord. (v.18) these nations will bring offering to Israel and Israel will bring clean offerings to the Lord.
The new heaven and earth will endure, as will His children's names and offspring.
All of mankind will bow before Him. But transgressors will be in a permanent state of decomposition, fire, and abhorrence.
Yikes.
That's a rough way to end the book, especially and joyful and hopeful as the last half of the book was. However, on further reflection, all of the bible is the same message.
- We sin.
- The Lord patiently warns us and tries to correct us.
- We harden our heart.
- His warnings get more dire.
- We ignore Him.
- The aforementioned consequences are, indeed, dire.
- We're shocked and confused.
And here's where we finally have to decide. We could have decided earlier, but often we just want what we want and we "don't care about God." But at this point, our longsuffering God will come to the end of his long suffering. And there will come a "last chance." After that, once he is finally DONE, it is too late.
He is going to send back to us His Suffering Servant. But this time it will be with a sword for a tongue and all last chances will be cancelled.
Choose the Rejoice path and not the Rebuke path. He is coming back.
Amen.