Isaiah 66:24

This verse describes a terrible scene. It refers to the deep narrow valley called Hinnom. This valley is near to *Jerusalem, on the south side. (The *New Testament uses the *Greek word Gehenna for the *Hebrew word Hinnom – see Matthew 10:28). In the Hinnom Valley, two wicked kings of Israel burned their sons as a *sacrifice to false gods (Ahaz, see 2 Chronicles 28:3; Manasseh, see 2 Chronicles 33:6). And other people copied this wicked behaviour (see Jeremiah 7:32; Jeremiah 19:5-6; Jeremiah 32:35).

• Later, the inhabitants of *Jerusalem threw their rubbish into the Hinnom Valley. What worms did not eat, fire destroyed. The fire never went out. Soon, what happened became powerful picture language to describe Hell. Jesus uses this verse, to mean ‘to *destroy totally’ (see Mark 9:48). Isaiah 66:24 is describing those people who refuse to serve God. They refuse to obey God’s instructions. But God is the origin of life. So these people have removed themselves from the God who gave them life. The verse describes their punishment as the extreme opposite of life. They have brought about their own terrible punishment. And that punishment is death that lasts for all time. (See Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10.)

Lord ~ God’s name in the Bible. In the original language, God’s names mean ‘head over all’ and ‘God always’.
worship ~ to praise God (or a false god) and to pray to him.
Temple ~ special building in Jerusalem where Jews praised God and offered him prayers and gifts.
Jerusalem ~ at the time of David and Solomon, the capital of the country called Israel. During the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was the capital of the country called Judah.
Jew ~ a person who belongs to the 12 tribes of Israel.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
Mount ~ mountain.
Zion ~ the mountain in Jerusalem where God’s holy Temple was.
Jerusalem ~ at the time of David and Solomon, the capital of the country called Israel. During the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was the capital of the country called Judah.
Temple ~ special building in Jerusalem where Jews praised God and offered him prayers and gifts.
Jew ~ a person who belongs to the 12 tribes of Israel.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
break ~ not to obey a law.
sacrifice ~ a gift of value to God (or, to a false god).
altar ~ special stone where priests burned animals as a gift to God (or, to a false god).
incense ~ see frankincense, above.
frankincense ~ substance to burn for its sweet smell to give honour to God (or, to a false god).
idol ~ home-made image of a god.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible. It contains 39 books, all from the time before Jesus was born.
prophet ~ a person who speaks on behalf of God.
Jerusalem ~ at the time of David and Solomon, the capital of the country called Israel. During the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was the capital of the country called Judah.
chariot ~ box (on wheels) that horses pull to carry soldiers into battle.
destroy ~ to carry out the most severe punishment possible.
Israelites ~ Jews; people who belong to the 12 tribes of Israel.
Jew ~ a person who belongs to the 12 tribes of Israel.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
camel ~ valuable animal that can carry heavy loads through the desert (see Genesis 37:25).
Levite ~ a special servant in the Temple.
Temple ~ special building in Jerusalem where Jews praised God and offered him prayers and gifts.
Jerusalem ~ at the time of David and Solomon, the capital of the country called Israel. During the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was the capital of the country called Judah.
Jew ~ a person who belongs to the 12 tribes of Israel.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
Sabbath ~ seventh (7th) day of the week, which the Jews used especially to give honour to God. So the Jews did not work on the Sabbath.
Jew ~ a person who belongs to the 12 tribes of Israel.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
worm ~ a small animal without legs that has the same shape as a snake.
Jew ~ a person who belongs to the 12 tribes of Israel.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
Gentile ~ a person who is not a Jew.
glory ~ the splendid beauty and wonderful light of God’s most holy character.'New Testament ~ the final part of the Bible. It contains 27 books from the time of the first Christians.
Greek ~ the original language of the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the final part of the Bible. It contains 27 books from the time of the first Christians.
Hebrew ~ the original language of the Old Testament.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible. It contains 39 books, all from the time before Jesus was born.

1. Isaiah: New *Heavens and a New Earth

God’s *Messiah Beats God’s Enemies

Isaiah Chapter s 56 to 66

Gordon Churchyard

The words in square brackets, […], are not in the *Hebrew Bible. They make the book easier to understand in English. Isaiah wrote his book in the *Hebrew language. The words in round brackets (…) are explanations.

Chapter 66

1. More about the New Earth

v1 This is what the *LORD is saying. ‘Heaven is my throne [king’s seat]. And the earth is the place where I rest my feet. Where is this house that you will build for me? Where will the place be that I will rest?

v2 My hand has made all these things. That is how they happened’, says the *LORD. ‘This is the person that for me has value. He will be humble and he will have a humble spirit. And he will tremble when he hears my word.

v3 Some people kill a *bull [for me]. Some people kill a man. Some people offer [me] a young sheep. Some people break a dog’s neck. Some people offer grain. Some people offer pig’s blood. Some people [burn] *incense for a memory. Some people *worship *idols. Some people have chosen their own ways. Their spirits have delight in awful things.

v4 So I will choose hard punishments for them. And I will send to them the things that will make them very afraid. [This is] because nobody answered my call. And when I spoke, nobody listened. They did evil things [even as] I watched them! And they chose [to do] things that did not please me.’

v5 Listen to the word of the *LORD, you people that tremble at his word. ‘Your brothers hated you. They do not let you belong [to the people in Judah]. They do this because of my name. They said [to you], “Give honour to the *LORD. Then we will see that you are happy.” But [your brothers] will be ashamed.

v6 A voice: [it is] a roar from the city! A voice: [it is] from the *temple. A voice: the *LORD [is] giving his enemies all that they deserve.’

v7 ‘Before she has *labour, she has a baby. Before the pains come to her, a son is born!

v8 Nobody has ever heard of such a thing. Nobody has ever seen things like this. A country cannot be born in one day. Nor can a nation have birth in a moment. But as soon as *Zion has *labour, her children are born!

v9 When I bring [someone] to the moment of birth, then the baby is born.’ This is what the *LORD is saying. ‘I do not close up the *womb before the baby is born’, says your God.

v10 Be happy with [the people in] Jerusalem and be glad for her (Jerusalem). [Do this], everybody that loves her. Be very happy with her, everybody that cries for her.

v11 [She] will nurse you and satisfy you. Her breasts will comfort you. You will drink [her milk] deeply. And you will be *delighted with the *glory that flows from her.’

v12 [This will happen] because the *LORD says, ‘Look! I will extend *peace to her like a river. And the wealth of nations will flood in like a stream [of water]. She will nurse you and she will carry you by her side. And you will sit on her knees.

v13 I will comfort you as a mother comforts her child. Your comfort will be because of Jerusalem.

v14 And when you see [this], your heart will be very happy! And your bones will grow easily, like grass. The *LORD will make his servants to know that his hand [is good]. But he will show his great anger to his enemies.

v15 Look! The *LORD will come with fire. His *chariots will be like a powerful wind that goes round and round. He will bring down [from Heaven] his very great anger. He will speak against [his enemies] with flames of fire.

v16 And so the *LORD will be the judge of all people with fire and with his sword. Then the *LORD will kill many people.

v17 Some people separate themselves to their gods. And some people make themselves pure for their gods. They go into the gardens. They follow the people who eat the meat from pigs and *rats and other nasty things. They will all come to an end together’, says the *LORD.

v18 ‘And I will come and I will gather [the people from] all nations and languages. [I will do this because] of their actions and their imaginations. And they will come and they will see my *glory.

v19 And I will put a sign among them. And I will send some of those people that escape [my anger] to the nations. [They will go to]:

• Tarshish [in Spain].

• The people in Libya.

• The people in Lydia, who are famous arrow shooters.

• Tubal.

• Greece.

• Distant islands that have not heard of my name or seen my *glory.

The people [that escape my anger] will tell the nations about my *glory.

v20 And they will bring all your brothers to my *holy mountain in Jerusalem. [They will bring them] from all the nations to offer [them] to the *LORD. [They will come] on horses, in *chariots and wagons, on mules (animals like small horses) and camels’, says the *LORD. ‘They will bring them as the *Jews bring grain. [This is what] they offer to the *LORD in the *temple. [The grain is in] the special bowls that are suitable for sacred purposes.

v21 And I will choose some [brothers] to be priests and *Levites (special servants of God)’, says the *LORD.

v22 ‘The new *heavens and the new earth that I will make will last always’, declares the *LORD. ‘Similarly, your name and [the names of] your *descendants will remain.

v23 Everybody will come. And they will bend down on their knees in front of me’, says the *LORD. ‘[They will come] from one New Moon to the next [New Moon] and from one *Sabbath to another.

v24 And they will go out [of the New Jerusalem]. And they will look at the dead bodies of the people that did not obey me. Their worm (animal like a tiny soft snake) will not die and their fire will not go out. And everybody will see how nasty they are.’

2. Notes

Verses 1-2 A ‘throne’ is a special seat that a king or queen sits on. The earth is so small, God can rest his feet on it! The questions probably mean that there is nowhere big enough for God! My hand means ‘God’. He made everything, heaven and earth. Then God describes the person that really has value for him. Proud people do not impress God. He approves of the person who is humble.

Verse 3 The first part of the verse contrasts good and bad things that people did. A *table helps us to understand this.

Good things	Bad things
Kill a *bull for me.	Kill a man.
Offer a young sheep to me.	Break a dog’s neck.
Offer grain.	Offer pig’s blood.
Burn *incense for memory.	*Worship *idols.

The good things are what their religion told them to do. *Incense made a good smell when they burned it. God is not saying that their religion is wrong. God had told them to do it! But because they were not sincere, it meant nothing to God. The good things that they did were like the bad things. God gives a list of these bad things that other people did. They did these bad things when they *worshipped *idols. An *idol is a false god. To *worship someone you do these things. You love them. You obey them. You bend down on your knees in front of them. You tell them that they are great and wonderful. Only the real God deserves such honour. But they were *worshipping *idols. And the people who were *worshipping God were not doing it in a sincere manner.

Verse 4 The word ‘chosen/choose’ (verses 3-4) contrasts what bad people do with God. The *Hebrew words say, ‘As for them, they chose [this]. As for me, I will choose [that].’ The people chose not to obey God. So God chose to punish them!

Verse 5 The *Hebrew word for ‘listen’ really means ‘listen and obey’. The people that ‘tremble at his word’ are the good people in verse 2. Their ‘brothers’ were the *Jews that did the bad things. They pretended that they were serving the *LORD. But they were not, so God will punish them, as in verse 6. But notice this. The advice that they gave was actually correct! If we give honour to the *LORD, we will be happy.

Verse 6 Three times Isaiah says, ‘A voice’. This may be a *Hebrew way to say ‘Hear it!’ But the voice speaks the word of God. The three times *holy God (Isaiah 6:3) speaks: from the city (Jerusalem), from the *temple and from where his enemies are. They are the ‘brothers’ that did bad things in verses 3-5.

Verse 7 ‘*Labour’ describes the pains that a woman has before and during the birth of a baby. ‘She’ in this verse means the city called *Zion, that is, Jerusalem. Cities are usually female in the *Old Testament.

Verse 8 The ‘thing’ is probably the birth without pain in verse 7. The ‘things’ are probably the birth (beginning) of a country and a nation in this verse. God promises to do what is impossible. The new *Zion will come suddenly. It is part of the new heaven and the new earth in Isaiah 65:17.

Verse 9 What God starts, he will finish! Notice the two words, ‘saying’ and ‘says’. They are not the same tense in *Hebrew. ‘Saying’ means that God is always saying it. ‘Says’ means that his promise will not fail. The ‘*womb’ means the place where a baby is inside its mother before its birth.

Verse 10 Notice again that the city, Jerusalem, is female. So ‘her’ means Jerusalem. This verse is ‘now’, but verse 11 is ‘then’, in the future. So ‘now’ we must cry with God’s people who are in trouble. Look at Something to do number 3. But in the future, when Jesus will return to the earth, things will be different!

Verse 11 Here is a word-picture of the people in Jerusalem as a child with its mother. As a mother satisfies her children with milk from her breasts, so Jerusalem will satisfy her people. The people are called ‘you’ in this verse. ‘*Glory’ means the wonderful things that will be in Jerusalem. Remember, Jerusalem in this verse is the New Jerusalem of Hebrews 12:22.

Verses 12-13 The word ‘because’ emphasises that people can trust in the *LORD. Isaiah wrote about ‘*peace like a river’ in 48:18. ‘If only you had listened to my commands, then your *peace would be like a river. Also, your goodness would be like the waves of the sea.’ These two verses continue the word-picture of verses 7-9. There, people are ‘born again’ in the New Jerusalem. Read Psalms 87. Here, the New Jerusalem acts like a mother.

Verse 14 ‘Heart’ and ‘bones’ mean the complete person. God’s ‘hand’ means that God himself is doing these things. Verses 15-17 are about God’s anger against his enemies.

Verse 15 Fire is a word-picture for the fact that God is *holy. A chariot is a special cart that soldiers use. Horses pull *chariots. The strong wind that goes round and round is called a ‘whirlwind’. It is so powerful that it blows everything away. The *chariots and *whirlwind are things that show God’s great power.

Verse 16 Genesis 3:24 tells us about the first time that God was judge of his people. He used fire and sword there also! Notice the three word-pictures in verses 15-16:

	Word-Picture	What it means
	Fire	God is *holy
	*Chariots and *whirlwind	God is powerful
	Sword	God is fair

Verse 17 This verse tells us about God’s enemies. They are the people that his fire, *chariots, *whirlwind and sword will kill. Isaiah has referred to them before in Chapter s 65 and 66. They are not foreigners. They are *Jews who have other religions than to love and to serve the *LORD. These verses describe them: 65:2-7; 65:11-12; and 66:3-4. But verse 16 also includes people who are not *Jews. It says that ‘the *LORD will be the judge of all people’. The *Hebrew word for ‘come to an end’ is similar to the *Hebrew word for ‘*whirlwind’ in verse 15.

Verses 18-24 The final section of Isaiah is not about the *Jews. It is about the people that the *LORD will gather into the New Jerusalem. It is about the time between the first and second *comings of Jesus Christ to the earth. The first *coming was when he lived on earth as a man. The second *coming is when he will return to earth as God.

Verse 18 Bible students do not know how to translate this verse. Maybe some words that should be there are not there. Or maybe the verse contains an unknown special way to say something in *Hebrew. Our translation is one among many that are possible! But we can be sure of one thing in this verse. God’s purpose is to gather people from every nation in the world into his New Jerusalem.

Verse 19 The sign in this verse probably means the Christian sign. That is, the cross on which Jesus died. Isaiah may have known this. We are not sure. The people that God sends are obeying Jesus’ commands in Matthew 28:19-20. The names are places in many parts of the world. Today, our world is bigger than the world that Isaiah knew! This is what ‘distant islands’ means. Tubal was a long distance north from Judah. Spain was in the west. Libya was in the south. So, God would gather people from all directions!

Verse 20 ‘They’ are ‘the people that escape my anger’ in verse 19. ‘Your brothers’ are people from other nations. Here, Jerusalem means the New Jerusalem. This can mean two things. It is the Church in Heaven, Revelation 21:2; and it is the Church on Earth, Hebrews 12:22-23. (By ‘the Church’ here, we mean all God’s people.) Between the first and second *coming of Jesus, as here, it means the Church on Earth. This verse reminds us of John 11:52. The ‘people that escape my anger’ offer to God ‘your brothers’. Their gift is like the grain that they offered to the *LORD in the old *temple in Jerusalem. That old gift was a picture of the new gift!

Verse 21 Not only *Jews would be priests and *Levites (special servants of God). People from other nations would be as well! This shows how close the *Jews would be to their new ‘brothers’ (God’s people from other nations). A *Jew would be equal to someone that was not a *Jew (Ephesians 2:11-22).

Verse 22 The word for ‘*descendants’ means ‘seed’ in *Hebrew. Notice that it means more than ‘children’ and ‘children’s children’. It means this. Everybody that came to be together with the *Jews would belong to the same family. They would be the *descendants (seed) of Abraham (Genesis 22:16-18). Read the note on Isaiah 65:23 above.

Verse 23 Isaiah started his book with New Moon and *Sabbath meetings. He said that the *Jews were not sincere in those meetings (Isaiah 1:13-14). The *Sabbath was the seventh day of each week, our Saturday. But now the people were sincere. That included *Jews. And it also included people that were not *Jews. The people’s lives followed the *LORD’s timetable, not their own. They would come to the New Jerusalem. Here, it means the Church (the people of God).

Verse 24 The section ends with a notice of danger. The notice is the graves of the people that did not ‘tremble when [they] hear my (God’s) word’, verse 2. God has punished these people. The fire is God’s punishment. A ‘worm’ is a small animal. Some worms live under the ground. Other worms destroy dead bodies. This punishment will never end.

3. Something to do

1. Read about people who had another name: Genesis 17:5; Genesis 32:28 and Genesis 35:10; Ruth 1:20; Matthew 16:17-18; Acts 13:9; Revelation 2:17.

2. Read Isaiah chapter 4 again. Compare it with Isaiah 65:17-66.

3. Make a list of your Christian friends that have trouble or problems. Then read Hebrews 12:22-13. Pray for your friends. Visit them if you can. Help them if you can.

4. Read Mark 9:43-48. Of which verse in Isaiah do these verses remind you?

20. heavens ~ another word for ‘skies’. It can also mean the place where God lives and the skies above us.
    messiah ~ a leader such as a king. With a capital M (that is, ‘Messiah’), it means Jesus for Christians.
    Hebrew ~ the language that Isaiah spoke.
    LORD ~ LORD is a special name of God. In the Hebrew language, it is YHWH. It may mean ‘always alive’. So LORD is a sign that the Hebrew word is YHWH.
    lord ~ master. When it has a capital L (that is, ‘Lord’), it is a name for God.
    Hebrew ~ the language that Isaiah spoke.
    bull ~ a male animal of the same kind as a cow.
    incense ~ a substance that makes a sweet smell when people burn it.
    worship ~ to tell God (or a false god) that he is wonderful; and also, to tell him that you love him.
    idol ~ a false god that people made.
    temple ~ God’s house in Jerusalem. False gods also had temples.
    labour ~ the pain that a woman suffers when she gives birth to a baby.
    Zion ~ a name for Jerusalem.
    womb ~ the place where a baby grows, inside its mother.
    delighted ~ very happy.
    glory ~ something that shines and is wonderful. Especially, it is God’s splendid beauty.
    peace ~ a calm and content attitude. The word often means simply that there is no war. But ‘peace’ especially means the calm and content attitude of a person who has a right relationship with God.
    chariot ~ a cart that soldiers rode in.
    rat ~ an animal that is like a large mouse. It is unclean and it spreads disease.
    holy ~ very, very good. Only God is really holy. He is so holy that he is separate from everybody else.
    Jews ~ the people that lived in Judah (which sounds like ‘Jew-dah’) and Israel.
    Levites ~ the special servants of God who helped the priests in the temple. They belonged to the family of Levi, who was one of Jacob’s sons.
    temple ~ God’s house in Jerusalem. False gods also had temples.
    heavens ~ another word for ‘skies’. It can also mean the place where God lives and the skies above us.
    descendants ~ future members of a family.
    Sabbath ~ the 7^th day of the week (Saturday), when the Jews worshipped God. It was a day for rest and prayer.
    Jews ~ the people that lived in Judah (which sounds like ‘Jew-dah’) and Israel.
    worship ~ to tell God (or a false god) that he is wonderful; and also, to tell him that you love him.
    table ~ a way to set out information in a series of boxes.
    worship ~ to tell God (or a false god) that he is wonderful; and also, to tell him that you love him.
    incense ~ a substance that makes a sweet smell when people burn it.
    labour ~ the pain that a woman suffers when she gives birth to a baby.'Old Testament ~ the earlier part of the Bible.
    glory ~ something that shines and is wonderful. Especially, it is God’s splendid beauty.
    whirlwind ~ a strong wind that goes round and round.
    chariot ~ a cart that soldiers rode in.
    coming ~ arrival. Especially, we use this word to describe the time when Jesus was born as a baby (his first coming). And when he will return as king (the second coming).