Bible Study: January 10, 2024

Okay, so Isaiah 66. Like I said, I'm almost sad that we're completing the book of Isaiah, because I really enjoyed this study and learned a lot that was in this book that I never understood before. And I hope you've all gotten a lot out of it. I know I certainly have, and a lot of things remembered. God puts so much into this book of Isaiah that it's just amazing. As we go into chapter 66 tonight, it is a fitting conclusion. We're going to see in chapter 66, as God concludes what he inspired Isaiah to write, we're going to go back, and several times in this chapter, we're going to go back to earlier chapters in Isaiah, where he made comments that will tie right into Isaiah 66 tonight. It will help explain what he is saying in this book. And of course, there are some New Testament references as well. New Testament references as well that we'll look at. So let's go ahead and get right into it. Chapter 66, verse 1, thus says the Eternal, heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build me, and where is the place of my rest? For all those things my hand has made, and all those things exist, says the Lord. So what God is saying there is, you know, what gift are you going to give me? If you're going to give me gifts, it's not a house that you're going to build me. That is the gift that I'm looking for you, and I'm not looking for physical things. All those things I've made, God said. So it's good that you bring them to me to honor me, but what I'm really looking for is not things. I'm looking for you. Now, if we go back to the book of Acts, or forward to the book of Acts, Stephen quoted from Isaiah, as he was giving his sermon, if you will, to the Sanhedrin there in Acts 7. Verse 49, he quotes this exactly. He says, heaven is my throne.

Well, let's look at 47-48 to get the context here. Solomon built, God, a house. However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says. Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord? Or what is the place of my rest? Has my hand not made all these things?

So here you find the New Testament application to that verse. God doesn't dwell in houses made with hands. It's not the temple that we're building today. God is building a temple in us. In Old Testament times, there were the temples that were being built, but in New Testament, God is building that in us. In 66, 1, and 2, he opens this chapter with this reminder that he is God, everything belongs to him. What he's looking for is not that. He tells what he's looking for at the end of verse 2. On this one, will I look? This is what I'm really looking for, God says. On him who is poor, that should be better translated as humble, on him who is humble and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. That's the one. That's where I'm looking. I'm looking for you, God said. I'm looking for you to give me your heart. I'm looking for you to give me you.

You know, we don't need to turn to Romans 12, 1, and 2, because you know what that means. Paul said, it's our reasonable service to give our lives to God. He had this verse, probably, maybe in mind when he was thinking of that, that it's God, it's us who God wants. He wants us to give him his heart, him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word.

And that's, you know, that that trembles at my word.

This is something that we should always do. And we're in the Bible, and we're looking at what God has said. This is the very word of God who has eternity in mind, who is so far above us that we can even imagine how great he is. I look at verses 1 and 2, and I think of David. David wanted the King David. He wanted so badly to build a house for God. God said, no, you're not going to build the house. It'll be Solomon who builds the house.

But what David did give God was himself. He did give God himself. God says, he is a man after my own heart. David did yield his heart to God. David did tremble at God's word.

And so maybe that was one of the reasons. David, you've already given me what I'm looking for. The next King can build the house.

So anyway, he trembles at his word. We're going to see that word tremble again down in verse 5. Again, God is trembling at his word. Verse 3, then, it's kind of a change in the context here. It can be confusing a little bit until you go back to Isaiah 1. But let's read verse 3. It says, He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man. He who sacrifices a lamb as if he breaks a dog's neck. He who offers a grain offering as if he offers swine's blood. He who burns incense as if he blesses an idol. So we'll just stop there for a moment. So here God is talking about these things and saying the things that he was looking for the Old Testament people to sacrifice, but then compares them to these pagan or abominations.

And that may be confusing in this context. But if you look, go back to Isaiah 1.

And here we are in the last chapter. And going back to Isaiah 1, we see God saying this same thing. Again, we've learned through the book of Isaiah that God will say something, and then we come back to the concept once and twice and more times. So in Isaiah 1, in verse 10, this is a script for our time, actually. Isaiah 1 verse 10 says, Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom. Notice what God calls us. He calls his people, his nations Jacob.

You rulers of Sodom, give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?

I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required this from your hand to trample my course? So God says you're going through the motions. You know, you're just doing it. You don't have any heart in this. You're going through the motions of offer this sacrifice. It's just a matter of course. You know, just as a matter of course, just a ritual that you do. And yet you trample all over my law. You trample all over the holy ground, if you will. When you come to be before me, who has required this from your hand to trample my course? You know, the offerings. You can go back to Genesis there, and Cain and Abel, when they brought their sacrifices to God, one brought it with a correct attitude before God. Abel's sacrifice was accepted by God. Cain's was rejected. It was the attitude that was there. Cain was going through and probably didn't even want to give an offering to God, but felt he had to. So God looked at that attitude and says, are we doing the same thing? Him saying this to Israel. Bring no more futile sacrifices. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of Assemblies. I cannot endure iniquity in the sacred meeting. Your new moons and your appointed beasts, my soul hates. They are a trouble to me. I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. So in those verses, you can see exactly what God is talking about in verse 3. You come before me and do these sacrifices, but your heart is not in it. You may as well be offering me swine's blood for the good that you're doing and sacrificing that bull or that lamb. You may as well be doing something else. In verse 16, God says an admonition to all of us. Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Rebuke the oppressor. Defend the fatherless. And plead for the widow. So with that context in mind, we see what he's talking about there in verse 3. Again, he's recounting. Chapter 66 is like a summary chapter here, if you will. So if we go back to chapter 66, verse 3, we read that, he who burns and says, as if he blesses an idol. And then the last part of verse 3 that I haven't read yet, it says, just as they have chosen their own ways and their soul delights in their abominations, again, they're doing things the way they want. They're doing things the way they would have it done. Not paying attention to what God's will is, but doing their will.

As their soul delights in their abominations, so I will choose their delusions and bring their fears on them. So I will choose their delusions and bring their fears on them.

You know, there's words that you read in the Bible, and they make you think of another verse.

And so back in 2 Thessalonians 2, I mean, this was Israel. Isaiah was giving this to Israel back then, but you remember from chapter 6 that when God gave the words to Isaiah, and Isaiah said, well, how long? How long will these words be given? And God said, until the cities are laid waste, until everything, until really until the end. And so we know these words are for us today. So 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 11, this is talking about the coming, the end time, the coming of the lawless one in verse 9, according to the working of Satan, with all power signs and lying wonders.

You know, there's one of the marks of Satan is lying. And as we look at the world around us today, it is just full of lies. That's just one of the marks. He is the father of lies. And we see the world become increasingly that way when you see disparity between one person's, what one person will say, what another person will say, with all power signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they didn't receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. They didn't receive the love of the truth. Their heart really wasn't in it. They might be able to repeat verses. They might be able to go through the motions. But your heart has to be with God, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe on me. So that's quite a statement there. When God says, when we read in Isaiah 66, I will choose their delusions. If they haven't given me their heart, if they haven't given me their minds and souls and haven't turned completely yielded to me through the course of their lives, the night will send strong delusions that they would believe the lie.

So God wants to know what's in our heart. And even in that end time, He will see where our hearts are. He will see where our hearts are. And He will learn.

Are we people of a poor and contrite spirit who tremble at His words? So I will go back to Isaiah 66. So I will choose their delusions. Because they wanted to do things their way, rather than my way, God says. I will choose their delusions and bring their fears on them.

Everything they feared will come upon them. And He says, why? Because when I called, no one answered. When I spoke, they didn't hear. But they did evil before my eyes and chose that in which I do not delight. That is our country today, too. We are doing evil before God's eyes and choose that in which I do not delight. Back in Israel's time, ancient Israel, you had the prophets who were preaching, who were giving the warning message and preaching God's way back then.

God tells us, as His Church, we need to be preaching the gospel and warning the people of the dangers and their way of life. I have to wonder if God is referring to that a little bit here, too. When I called, no one answered. When I spoke, they didn't hear. They may not hear us when we preach the gospel in all nations, but they need to hear it. That is our responsibility as His people. Verse 5, hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word. You might want to think about that word and how we treat the word of God when we open it and when we read it and study it. Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for my name's sake, said, let the Lord be glorified that we may see your joy, but they shall be ashamed.

So you have here, he goes from one, he says, hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word.

Your brethren who hated you, your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for my name's sake, said, let the Lord be glorified that we may see your joy, but they shall be ashamed.

Here he's talking about something that we can look at in the New Testament that Jesus Christ said. In John 15, he talks about a time when our brethren will cast us out. Many of the so-called Christians of the world today will turn against us. Maybe some from the minus would even turn against us and turn us in and cast us out as the difference between us and society and the other religions of this society become more and more pronounced. John 15 verse 21. John 15 verse 21. All these things they will do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent me.

So, all these things they will do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent me. Here God is saying, these people who cast you out for my name's sake let the Lord be glorified. When He sees that happen, when we stand for what He has us do, we stand in the gap for His truth. We don't cave to the world's ideas, that we don't cave to the pressures that come to us, that come upon us, but we stand firm in the truth. God is glorified.

But they will be ashamed. God will come and take care of His enemies. And that's what verse 6 here in Isaiah 66 is going to talk about. The sound of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, the voice of the Lord who fully repays His enemies. So, we know the time frame of what we're talking about here. We've got you who tremble at God's word, who are cast out for His name's sake, and then the return of Christ, the sound of noise, a voice from the temple, the voice of the Lord who fully repays His enemies. And then in verse 7, this is something I think we understand. I'm not even sure I can fully explain it, but I'm going to give it my best shot here. When you look at commentaries, they just don't have anything right on this at all. They try to put it into something different. But it has to be just knowing the Bible and God opening our minds on this. In verse 7 it says, Before she was in labor, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a male child. So before she was in labor, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a male child.

Keep your finger there. Let's go back to Revelation 12.

Because we see the same type of verbiage in Revelation 12.

In verse 2, I'll just read verse 1 as well. A great sign appeared in heaven, A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then, being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

Another sign appeared in heaven, Behold, a great fiery red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven, threw them into the earth.

So we know what this is talking about. Satan and then the third of the angels who followed him. And the dragon stood before the woman, who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. So she bore a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and his throne.

So we know this child that was born was Jesus Christ.

We know the nation that was given there. It says, we go back to Isaiah 66 for a moment.

Before she was in labor, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Now, ... Yeah, so the other thing we can look at there in verse 7 is, you know, well, I don't even want to go there. Let me just continue. Before she was in labor, she gave birth.

Before her pain came, she delivered a male child. We know who the male child is. Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of all mankind, the only one, the only name by which mankind has salvation.

She delivered a male child. Then God says, who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. As soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. So here we're moving from the male child to the birth of a nation, if you will, or birth of a whole group of people at one time.

As soon as Zion was in labor, and there is a coming of time when when Jerusalem will be in labor from until the day that Jesus Christ returns, Jerusalem is going to be a place that is going to be completely ensconced in turmoil. As soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. So shall I bring to the time of birth and not cause delivery? So I think what God is talking about here is the resurrection of the first fruits.

As soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. The resurrection occurs. A resurrection occurs, and he gave birth to her children, a nation born at once. Shall I bring to the time of birth and not cause delivery? says the Lord. Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? says your God. I said it would happen. There will be first fruits. There will be the people who there will be the people of God who become the saints that God is looking for you and me to become, who will rule with Jesus Christ for the time in his millennium if we yield ourselves to him.

So this birth that he's talking about I think refers back to revelation and the first fruits. Zion in labor gave birth to her children. The first resurrection, if that's 144,000, that's resurrected at that time. That's a pretty good size and number, but they are people who are for a specific purpose to do God's will. She gave birth to her children. And in verse 9, God says something that we've seen two or three times at least in the book of Isaiah.

Shall I bring to the time of birth and not cause delivery? says the Lord. Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? says your God. So what God is saying there is what I say will happen will happen. It is going to happen. So this is a certainty this birth in one day. The male child has already been born. It is a certainty. He fulfilled his commission, and the rest of it is a certain certainty. God has just been very merciful with us and very now given us the great blessing of knowing his plan that we have the opportunity to know these things and be part of what he has called us to.

Okay, verse 10. Rejoice with Jerusalem. See, here we have Zion in labor. Then in verse 10 we have rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her. All you love her. All you who love her. So you have, again, you have this this progression of time that's here in this chapter. You have the Savior being born. You have the resurrection. And then you have rejoice with Jerusalem. It's a bastion of turmoil up until the time that Jesus Christ returns.

But then there's peace in Jerusalem, and that's what he's talking about. Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her. All you who love her. Rejoice for joy with her. All you who mourn for her. That you may be, that you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation of her bosom, that you may drink deeply and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. So be there with Jerusalem. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. In Psalm 122, Psalm 122, Psalm 122, and verse, well, way past 122. 122, verse 6.

You know, God says, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. The peace of Jerusalem will come when Jesus Christ returns. Pray, I'll be with you in just a minute, Mr. Wellhausen, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls. Prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, peace be within you because of the house of the Lord our God. I will seek your good. So we can relate verse 10 and 11 right back to Jerusalem, which will be the center of the earth and a place of peace and education for all mankind. Yeah, Mr. Wellhausen.

I... well, nuts. Hang on a minute, I gotta go find Isaiah again. Okay. Here we go. You triggered a thought when we went down in verse 8. Can a country be born a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? That is key to the thought that the nation of Israel is brought forth in a day, in a moment. You know, the United Nations made them a country just like that and upset everybody. And I'm just wondering, is that a part of prophecy or is that something else? That's an interesting thought. That's an interesting thought. No, I hadn't thought of that. I think there's a lot of things we can look at the scriptures. Yeah.

So, okay. Good thought. Okay, let's go back to... Is it Shaby? Yes, Debbie. So, and this might have been mentioned before, but also when Israel came out from Egypt, all at once they became a nation too. That's true. That's true. They became a nation one day. And then what this gentleman said about the United Nations, but also in the first resurrection, that's going to be a nation, a spiritual nation of kings and priests. Yep, that'll be a spiritual nation. And it says, as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. So, we could look at that as the first resurrection as well there. So, very good.

Okay, chapter... no, no, no. Verse 12. Verse 12. I'm gonna go back to Isaiah 48 on chapter verse 12. Let me read it first. Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her, this Jerusalem, like a river. Now, we had seen that same phrase back in Isaiah 48, peace like a river. So, let's go back to Isaiah 48. And God tells how you can have peace like a river in Isaiah 48.

In Isaiah 48 and verse 17, let's read 17 and 18. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord your God who teaches you to profit. That means he teaches... he gives us benefits. Who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded my commandments. If you had just paid attention to what I gave, the way that I gave you to live. Oh, that you had heeded my commandments. Then your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. So, peace like a river is when people are living by God's way of life. That's where peace comes from. That's where joy comes from. That's where agape comes from. That's where all the fruits of the Spirit come from. Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river. What he's saying is in that day Jerusalem will be living by God's way. We go back to Isaiah 2 in just a moment.

People will be flowing to Jerusalem because that's where the word of the law will be coming from. That's where they're going to be going. I will extend peace to her like a river. That's where God's way will be taught. All nations will come to be taught God's way at that time. They will see the benefit of it. They will see the, as he said in verse 17, they're the prophet in it to them by living God's way of life. The same blessings that you and I should be feeling as we live God's way of life and understand the benefits of living God's way, the peace that it gives us, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the joy that comes, that you can't even understand if you're not. I'm just looking at my machine here. I think my internet went off for a moment, but I hope I didn't lose anyone. That I lost my train of thought. Yeah, that we should have that benefit. So anyway, Isaiah 48 18 tells us how peace will be like a river, talking about Jerusalem to that day, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. So again, we've read about the glory of Gentiles like a flowing stream. We read that back in chapter 60. In verse 15, 60, Yeah, whereas you have been forsaken and hated so that no one went through you, I will make you in eternal excellence the joy of many generations. You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles and the milk of the breast of kings. You will know that I the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob. So the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Remember, we've read many times in the book of Isaiah that the Gentiles will look to Israel in those days like, oh, they are the people of God. Oh, they had, God gave them. Remember, he created Israel. He said earlier in the book of Isaiah, I created you as he did through the miraculous birth of Isaac and then Jacob and then Joseph. And the Gentiles will look to the Israelites at that time. Remember in Zechariah 8, I think it is, where it sells about where people are not wanting to, you know, where we have to rise in anti-Semitism in the world today. And that day, they will be looking to the Jew. They will be looking to them because they know the way of God. It'll be a completely different atmosphere then than it is now. Then you shall feed. We go back to verse 12 in Isaiah 66. Then you shall feed. On her side shall you be carried and be dandled on her knees. Jerusalem, Jerusalem will be the center. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you, God says, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

Well, back at the beginning of one of the sections of Isaiah that we talked at back in chapter 40. You remember we moved from a lot of the prophecies and the time of Hezekiah. And in chapter 40, we moved into a new section that we spent a lot of time in over the next 15 to 20 chapters. Now verse 1 of chapter 40 says, Comfort. Yes, comfort my people, says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem and cry out to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Comfort. Comfort to Jerusalem. So here God, in this final chapter, brings it back again to Jerusalem. I will comfort Jerusalem. They'll be bandied about, they'll be hated, they'll be trodden down. But as one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, right? Psalm 122.6. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice. When we see God returning, Christ returning, and Jerusalem is comforted, your heart will shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like grass. The hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants and his indignation to his enemies. So, of course, you know, that's what we're looking for. The return of Jesus Christ, the peace of Jerusalem when he establishes it as the world capital, as the center of center of life, the center of education, the center that people will flow to. Of course, we will rejoice. That's what God's people do. We look forward to that day. For behold, verse 15, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. So, we move from comfort Jerusalem. Your heart, Lord, shall rejoice when you see the peace in Jerusalem, the peace like a river that will be taught there that comes from living God's way and the whole world living God's way at that time. But then we move into, for behold, the Lord will come with fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind. Let's go back. Let's go back to 2 Peter 3. Well, on the way to 2 Peter 3, let's let's stop in Malachi. Malachi 4.

Malachi 4 and verse 1, the whole of the day is coming. Did I say Malachi 4.1? Yes, okay. Malachi 4.1, for behold the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts. They will leave them neither root nor branch. Well, there's the there's the there's the the fire. Verse 2, though, God always, you know, when he says something, he always leaves it with hope. But to you who fear my name, the Son of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings, and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. And then if we go back to 2 Peter 3, the spire that that Christ is returning with.

2 Peter 3 and verse 7.

says, But the heavens and the earth, which are now which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. So when Christ returns, there will be fire. There will be fire as part of his judgment on the earth. He will come. He will come with fire. Let me go back to Revelation. 2 Peter 3 and verse 8. We see fire as the end of the earth when the judgment of all mankind comes. When Christ comes, he will come to judge the earth. Verse 13 of Revelation 20. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, and anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So Christ will come, and fire will be part of his judgment, a very prominent part of his judgment when we see. Then finally, the earth burned up. When the purpose for the physical earth is complete, it is burned up, replaced by a new heavens and new earth that we will see here in a moment in Isaiah 66 as well. So, but let's go back to verse 15 here. For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and with his rebuke with flames of fire. By fire and by his sword, the Lord will judge all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many. Well, I should have told you to keep your finger there in Revelation. Let's let's go back again this time to Revelation 19 when Christ returns. Now, I saw heaven opened, and behold a white, I'm in Revelation 19. I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew, except himself. He was clothed with a robe, dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses.

Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And as you read down through the rest of chapter 19, you see that many, many, many are slain at that time. The people who are gathered together to fight Christ, he eliminates in a split second when he comes. No one is a match for God. No no assembly of nations. No assembly of the weaponry of mankind. No nuclear things. Nothing is a match. Nothing is a match for God. So we see this. We can go right back to Revelation and see what God is talking about here as we finish this book and as he spans the time of Israel all the way to the time of his return. Let's go back to 16 again, Isaiah 66 and verse 16. For by fire and by his sword, we just read about the sword, the Lord will judge all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many. And we read in the past in Zechariah 14 that the blood of the people who were slain at that time will be great upon the earth.

Many many will be slain at that time as they gather to fight God. Then in verse 17, it's like it switches direction here again, but it goes back to people who are following pagan ways, those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves. This is kind of like God would say, we need to sanctify ourselves and purify ourselves. And sometime in some of the religions, especially over there in the east, it seems like there's these rituals that go there as they go into their pagan temples and they do these things that they do, the washings and stuff like that. Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens after an idol in the midst eating swine's flesh and the abomination in the mouth shall be consumed together, says the Lord. Well, we know he's not talking about God's people here because again, for the second time that we've seen, we see God pretty directly saying eating swine's flesh is an abomination to him. So it goes back to the clean and unclean meats thing again, where God says, these are the meats, this is the food you eat, this is the food you don't eat, and those who don't follow God pay no attention to those clean and unclean meat principles. I think it was in chapter 65 he talked about swine's flesh. Here also in chapter 66, eating swine's flesh and the abomination of the mouth shall be consumed together, says the Lord. We follow what God says exactly, for I know their works, verse 18, and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see my glory. So God, when Jesus Christ returns, they will see his glory. Then in verse 19 is an interesting thing. I think we have to remember, as we look at verse 19, that Christ will return to the Mount of Olives. At Armageddon there, there will be the armies gathered. There will be God who takes care of the two, apparently the 200 million man army that is gathered there to fight him. But that's not all the world. There's still people off in the very distant lands who may be watching this on the internet, watching what's going on with the two witnesses. As all nations are watching what's going on, as things flare up in Jerusalem, would be the conflict between the beast power and God's word being preached.

As they see Christ, all eyes will see him as he returns to earth. But they're not in Jerusalem. There's many that are there that are still sitting out there in the world. And I think verse 19 is talking about that. It says, I will set a sign among them, and those among them who escape, I will send to the nations. Not just to Tarshish and Pull and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, who have not heard my fame nor seen my glory.

So there will be remote parts of the earth who don't even know who Christ is, who may not have understood his truth, that certainly don't understand his plan. And there will have to be people go out and talk to them. So God says here, it looks like that, there will be people that are sent out there to all these remote areas who have not heard my fame nor seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. There's going to have to be a lot of re-education that goes on in the earth. There's going to have to be a lot of time spent in helping people understand what the plan of God is, how Jesus Christ is the Savior, that he has returned to earth, that he is the King of Kings, and a whole lot of this all over the world that is going to have to take place. It's not going to happen instantaneously. It'll be taking the work, and I think that's what he's talking about here in verse 19. They will go to the coastlands afar off and declare my glory among the Gentiles. I don't know if someone had a question here, but okay.

Verse 20 then says, they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord.

Out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord. As the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. What's a wonderful picture that God pranks there? He'll go out and the whole world will know God's glory. They will be taught. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering. And they will come to my holy mountain, Jerusalem, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel. Well, we can go right back to the beginning of Isaiah. Again, in Isaiah 2. And we see that this is exactly what God says will happen in that day. Isaiah 2, verse 2, it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established at the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills. And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. So we see this early on in Isaiah. In that day, people will be flowing to Jerusalem. That's where the word of the Lord goes out from. And all nations, all nations shall flow to it. And here in the last chapter, God refers that again. They shall bring all your brethren for an offering of all nations on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem. They will be flocking any way they can get there because they want to know and understand God's way of life. It's a beautiful picture of what God is painting there, of what's going to happen when the world begins to understand God's way of life. In verse 21, then, if we go back to Isaiah 66, I will also take some of them for priests and Levites, says the Lord. Well, we remember that, you know, there will be a temple in in Jerusalem at that time. All people will flow to that temple. So the priests and the Levites serve in that temple. So God will have some of the physical people serving in that temple. I will take some of them for priests and Levites for service in the Millennial Temple or however God wants to use them.

And then in verse 22, we've been in the Millennial time frame here.

We have Christ's Return in verses 15-16. We have Millennial times in 19 and 20. In 22, we see the New Heavens and the New Earth, which is right at the end of the book of Revelation. For as the New Heavens and the New Earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your descendants and your name remain. What God is saying that, you know, He promises us eternity. Once the New Heavens and the New Earth are there, they are for eternity. When the purpose for the physical earth is done, it will be burned up, a New Heaven, and a New Earth will be there. God will make His home with mankind.

For as the New Heavens and the New Earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your descendants and your name remain.

It's a very, very big promise God makes there to us. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh, all flesh, shall come to worship before me, says the Eternal. Now, what God is saying is there, in that time we will be living by the calendar that He devised. We will be looking, you know, we'll be looking to the lights that He put in the sky that give us the beginning of days, the end of days, the moon that marks the months for us, that help us to identify the holy days that we would, that we keep and understand the meaning of those in God's great plan. So that from one new moon to another, living by God's calendar, not by man's calendar, not January, February, March, but God's calendar with the first month of the year beginning with the month of Passover and Unleavened Bread, and from one Sabbath to another, because the Sabbath will be kept, and the Sabbath will be kept in the millennium, all flesh shall come to worship before me, all flesh. You know, if that's going to happen in the millennium, you know, all of us need to make sure that we are keeping those Sabbaths the way that God wants us to as well, and the right attitude coming before Him to worship Him. Very, very hopeful, very hopeful verses that are there in 22 and 23. Again, it's a very beautiful setting, but then God ends the book of Isaiah with a stern warning.

You know, I think all of us, all of us online here, want to be part of that Kingdom. All of us look forward to the return of Jesus Christ. All of us believe that He is returning, and that the world that He will bring, and the world under His reign, will be a wonderful place. I think we look forward to whatever God will have us be doing in that time. As we work with Him, it'll be a fantastic experience. And God has painted that picture for us, but He gives us a warning in verse 24 to not look away, to not get distracted. In Luke 21, I think it's verse 36, Christ said, don't let yourself become enamored with the things of the world, the carousing, the reveling, and whatever, that you lose sight of who you are. Keep this vision in mind. And so in verse 24, He says, and they shall go forth and look. They, the people who are part of this verse 22 and 23, they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. Now this is for their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be in afforence to all flesh. Thank God is giving us a warning there that, you know, if we're looking for eternal life, He gives us the way. He gives us the truth. He tells us, love, love Him. He is looking for us to give our hearts and souls to Him. So we must do that if we want to be there.

But it's interesting that they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me, for their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They will be in afforence to all flesh. Back in Isaiah 30, you may remember, in Isaiah 30 and verse 33, verse 33, you remember we talked about tofat a little bit. Tofat is the Hebrew word. What it means is it's a place of cremation. So we know cremation has to do with fire, of course.

For tofat was established of old. It was determined before the beginning of the earth that there would be a lake of fire, and that mankind who did not yield to God would be thrown into the lake of fire. And that's the second death, as we read in Revelation 20. And it will be in afforence. People who just refuse to yield to God, refuse and reject Him. For tofat was established of old, yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large. Its pyre is fire with much wood. The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it. So this place of cremation that's there, I think God is referring back to here in Isaiah 66. This place of cremation that is there that men will look on. They shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men. They will remember. They will remember. I think it will be a very disturbing thing for us to see people cast into the lake of fire and realize they gave away the opportunity of everlasting life. They gave away the opportunity of joy and peace and everything good for all eternity.

When we think about that, as we think about it, and we can think about how people have just rejected God, it should be an encouragement to us that we would never let that happen to us. That we will never be enamored with our own selves, that we won't let pride overtake us, that we won't give in to self or the world, but that we will remain true to God, and that we keep that vision of the kingdom. Yes, but also, as he says here, they will go forth and look upon the corpses of the men, for their worm doesn't die, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh. Okay. Okay, I guess that's it. So, for Isaiah. Questions, comments, anything that anyone wants to talk about at all? Oh, hey, Alyssa Gunn, how are you? Yeah, I'm fine. Mr. Shavey? Yes.

It's good to be here again. I said it's good to be here again. Oh, yeah, I'm here. Only a few words are coming in at a time, Alyssa Gunn, so.

I'll do my hand.

Can you hear me now? Yes, I think we can. Okay, okay, thank you. I have some thoughts on Isaiah chapter 66 verse 8. Okay. Let me read that.

Has heard such a thing, who has six things, shall the earth be made to give birth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once, for as Isaiah was in labor, she gave birth to her children. Okay. I want to read Romans, the book of Romans, Romans, Romans, 1126. Okay, Romans, 1126.

Yeah, Romans, 1126. Okay. And so, all Israel will be believed, as it is written, the believer is out of Zion, and is away on godliness from Jacob. Now, in Jesus' process, Isaiah is in the state of Romans, 1126. It appears as if they express the same thoughts. He is talking about the nation, the physical nation of Israel, because if you follow that in Isaiah 66, if you go to the state of Isaiah 66, you say, Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, love her. Rejoice for joy with her, before you will mourn for her. Remember that in Romans, we've been talking about the physical nation from chapter 9, from chapter 9 of Romans, he had been talking about the physical nation of Israel, and that was in chapter 11, where he said, God's plan was to save all Israel, and that's it, the nation is being born, in one day, the nation is being born at once. So that, to me, it ties in with the people of Israel, and it is a very important part of the world. Especially, verse 11 again, verse 11 of the state, it says, You need to feed and be satisfied with the consolation of a bosom, that you may drink deeply and be frightened with the abundance of a glory. Talking about when God finally restores the nation of Israel, it would be a blessing, or that, to be a blessing to the old world, to the gentle world. Okay, that's some very good thoughts.

Very good thoughts, Olusagun. I think there are, you know, some of these verses we're going to know exactly what God means in time, but there's applications of them throughout the Bible. Very good thoughts. So, thank you. Hey, Reggie.

Oh, you're muted, Reggie.

You're still muted.

Okay, go again. Okay, on the last verse that we went into, I was thinking, you know, that whenever Satan was bound for a thousand years, right before the millennium, and then after that, he will be cast into lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet were. And I was wondering, and this is just in chapter, maybe Satan will be destroyed firmly in that way.

You know, God made things physical towards that Satanist spirit, but he had the power to, you know, change Satan in the form that he could actually be destroyed by fire. That's conjecture on my part. Yeah, no, it's conjecture. God knows what he's going to do with Satan. If there's no other purpose for him after, you know, this earth, then it's God's decision. But yes, we'll find out when that time comes.

Mr. Shaby? Yes, Sherry. Do we have any idea what we're doing next?

I thought maybe next week. Well, no, I had a couple of people write to me. I think next week, let me get back to what we're going to do next week. Isaiah is such an important book. I was thinking about trying to put together like a kind of a summary of it by chapter or whatever, and just talk about it a little bit again. I know that we had talked about appropriate Sabbath keeping and stuff like that. We had done that. Maybe we'll talk about that a little bit too. And maybe then next week we'll decide what book we go into next, if that's okay. Those would all be good. Yeah. Okay, that's well, that'll be a plan for next week then. Sounds good. Okay, hey, Betsy. Hi, I'm just wondering, I can't seem to find the earlier portions of this Bible study online. I started late. I'm not quite sure where it began. Maybe chapter 40. Are they all posted somewhere? And I just can't seem to find them. Yeah, you can find them if you go to the Home Office congregation. Right. And if you go to the Home Office congregation and hit sermons on that tab within that Home Office congregation, not Cincinnati East, but Home Office, they're all there. They're all there. Okay. All the way through.

Thank you very much. Mr. Shelby, awesome. I've heard several people say that they wish that the Bible studies were all listed just like under Bible studies because a lot of people seem to have trouble finding that Home Office thing. I know I do too sometimes. Okay, I agree with you. It's one of the things I was going to talk to the people in the Home Office about because there's a few Bible studies, we should have a designation between them and sermons. So yeah, we'll work on that.

Thank you.

Mr. Shaby? Yes, sir.

Going back to Isaiah 66, and in verse 19, it talks about all those different naces, Tarshish, Pol, Lud, Tubal, Zavan. And you've got so many pagan ideas throughout the world. There's just so many. And, you know, there might be small nations that have some weird things. I've gone to Africa, and you see the different cultures and all the different things. And yet, you would like someone that could relate to those people on their own level that had come out of there and understood it. And if you go back to Revelation 7, it talks about the 144,000, but it also talks about the great multitude who no one could number out of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues.

And they were called. They were chosen. They were now priests of God. And I do think that God, I mean, this is an amazing thing that He was able to take them from all these different individual tribes. Why would He do it? It seems that to me that they would go back to the nations they came from with the knowledge they now have, and they would be the ones best equipped to be able to teach God's ways to these people. I think that is an excellent point. That makes complete sense to me, because how could you teach someone if you didn't understand where they were coming from, right? So, yes, I think that's a very good thought. Most likely, that is what God has in mind there. He'll send people out to, yeah, that's a very good thought. One of the things that we learned, among the many things, is, like I mentioned earlier, about just understanding what life is like in a Hindu nation, or where Caliph is an Islamic nation. And then another one who had Buddhists in Myanmar, the things that they deal with all the time is just incredible. I mean, we don't even think of these things in America, right? So it's kind of an eye opener to see how different the world is when you get to a whole different part of it. Like you said in Africa, who knows how many little iterations and false religion and idols that are out there. So how, yeah, I think that's a very good point.

Hi, Mr. Shubhi? Yes, hi. Hi, how are you? Good, how are you? Yes, good to see you. Good. Yeah, well, it's quite a past one in the morning here. Okay, well, thank you for joining in and staying up late.

Oh, no, no, no problem. I'm glad you had a safe journey back home. Can I ask you a question? Just looking ahead here. Daris is coming over to the UK around the end of March, I think it is.

Are you coming along with Steve? I think we're both coming. Daris, Steve, and I, as far as I know. So the reason I'm asking wasn't clear in David Feeney's email. We just said Steve Myers was coming and another three couples. So I went, oh, right, who's the three couples? Yeah, we'll be over there at the end of March. So we're looking forward to it. Oh, good, good. Yeah, look forward to that. Yeah, thanks for the study. Enjoyed it.

Okay, anything else? Anyone?

Okay, well, it's very good to see all of you online here. Good to be back. Actually, I think for the next several weeks, have a Bible study now. So have a good Sabbath wherever you are, and we will look forward to seeing all of you next week. Okay, thanks very much. Take care.