Isaiah 66 – Second Class Visions

Isaiah 66 is one of the several major passages that explain what has happened, what is happening now and what will happen in our generation.  Due to time, we shall skip the middle section of the chapter, which has already been fulfilled.

(Isaiah 66:2b) In such a time as ours – since the sacred name has been revealed and true worship is being re-established – to what kind of person will Yahweh be turning?  What kind of a temperament does this person have?

  (1) bold and powerful

  (2) charismatic and successful

  (3) poor and contrite

  (4) religious and content.

(66:3b,4) What “religion” will this person practice?

  (1) that which is accepted by all

  (2) that which regards the Torah

  (3) that which offers the blood of pigs

  (4) that which observes the Christian calendar.

(66:3b)  Whose ways have some chosen?  ______________

How do they feel about their choices? _________________

What are some practices chosen that may make a person feel religious but are against Yahweh’s good will for us?

___________________________________________

(66:5)  What does it mean to “tremble at the word” of Yahweh?

Are we to be silent about matters of faith?  Yes / No

What may be the religious consequences of speaking up?

   (1)  one may be cast out of the religious group

   (2)  most folks may believe what you say

   (3)  you may be embarrassed to speak your mind

   (4)  someone may admire you for knowing what you believe.

Those religious who care to speak up may say, according to vs. 5b

________________________________________.

The Living Bible paraphrase puts it this way:

Your brethren hate you and cast you out for being loyal to my name. “Glory to Elohim,” they scoff. “Be happy in YHWH!”' But they shall be put to shame.

What will eventually become of those who scoff at the truthful?

Skip to Vision 3: Isaiah 66:15. 

Again most news agencies along with many social scientists are telling us that we are in the middle of World War III.  But actually, we have been in continual warfare without ceasing since 1776! 

Does Yahweh work good through war?   Yes / No  
 

If so, what are his weapons?  ___________ and __________. 
 

Can Yahweh kill in war?  Yes / No

(66:17)  If  Yahweh can and does kill, who does he take responsibility for killing?  Those who are _________________ and those who eat ______________ .   

We may sum up that Yahweh is an Elohim of law and order, and not _____lessness. 

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 describes this time in very similar language.  Turn there and notice who is being killed and why?

What is lawlessness?

(66:18)  What two things does Yahweh know about the lawless?  _________________  and ____________________

Who will Yahweh gather together? _________________

What will those gathered see? _____________________

(66:19)  What is Yahweh setting up as a final attempt to save those gathered?  _____________________

What is it?  __________________________________

What will it help some to do? ______________________

What are the modern names of some of the “isles far off”?

(66:20)  What will escapees do?  ____________________

How can one escape this entire process of judgment and war? 

(Go back to verses 15 and 18 for the answer.)

  (1) never miss a day at church or synagogue

  (2) burn you draft card and pray for the peace of Jerusalem

  (3) be a religious person and do good to all

  (4) mind your thoughts and acts.

(66:20b)  Why will some return to Jerusalem

(see Zechariah 14:16, a parallel passage)? 

____________________

What does this tell you about the feasts and religious society?

_________________________________________

Who will be returning? Those who __________________.

Who will they bring with them? ____________________.

By what means will people return?  Write down a few:

Today, what do people use to return?

(66:20c) Of what nationality will these people who return to Jerusalem, Yahweh and the Torah be considered? ________________

(66:21)  What jobs will some have? _________________

In such a scenario, what other jobs will be very, very important?

Who will do these jobs?

(66:22a)  What does the word “Nazorean” mean? 

__________________________

Why will Nazoreans be needed?

Will these needed workers be like angels (that is, able to materialize and dematerialize)?  Yes / No

What do the words “seed” and “name” imply in this verse?

(66:23)  What calendar is kept? ______________

What day is mandated to be observed for worship?

___________________

(66:24)  Before the new comes, what becomes of the old (such as those who took part in the war of rebellion against Yahweh and his ways? 

Isaiah 66

1. THUS SAYS YHWH: "Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool; what is the house which you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?
2. All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says YHWH. But this is the man to whom I will look, he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
3. "He who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like him who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a cereal offering, like him who offers swine's blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like him who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations;
4. I also will choose affliction for them, and bring their fears upon them; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight."
5. Hear the word of YHWH, you who tremble at his word: "Your brethren who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, 'Let YHWH be glorified, that we may see your joy'; but it is they who shall be put to shame.
6. "Hark, an uproar from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of YHWH, rendering recompense to his enemies!
7. "Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son.
8. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her sons.
9. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? says YHWH; shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb? says your Elohim.
10. "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her;
11. that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory."
12. For thus says YHWH: "Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees.
13. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of YHWH is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies.
15. "For behold, YHWH will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16. For by fire will YHWH execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and those slain by YHWH shall be many.
17. "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, says YHWH.
18. "For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory,
19. and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
20. And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to YHWH, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says YHWH, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of YHWH.
21. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says YHWH.
22. "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says YHWH; so shall your descendants and your name remain.
23. From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says YHWH.
24. "And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men that have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."