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Isaiah 66

Isaiah closes with YHWH honoring the humble, restoring Jerusalem, gathering the nations, and exposing the terrible end of rebellion.

YHWH addresses people who offer sacrifices while refusing to hear him, then turns to those who tremble at his word and face rejection from their own brothers. He declares that heaven and earth belong to him, promises Jerusalem comfort through images of birth and nursing, and announces judgment against his enemies. The closing vision gathers the nations to witness his glory and worship him, while leaving the dead bodies of rebels in view.

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1The LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build to me? Where will I rest?
2For my hand has made all these things, and so all these things came to be,” says the LORD: “but I will look to this man, even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.
3He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog’s neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig’s blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations.
4I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them, because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they didn’t listen, but they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn’t delight.”
5Hear the LORD’s word, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy;’ but it is those who shall be disappointed.
6A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that repays his enemies what they deserve.
8Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she gave birth to her children.
9Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to be delivered?” says the LORD. “Shall I who cause to give birth shut the womb?” says your God.
10“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her;
11that you may nurse and be satisfied at the comforting breasts; that you may drink deeply, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.”
12For the LORD says, “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream, and you will nurse. You will be carried on her side, and will be dandled on her knees.
13As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14You will see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones will flourish like the tender grass. The LORD’s hand will be known among his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies.
15For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and his chariots will be like the whirlwind; to give his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16For the LORD will execute judgment by fire and by his sword on all flesh; and those slain by the LORD will be many.
17“Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, following one in the middle, eating pig’s meat, abominable things, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together,” says the LORD.
18“For I know their works and their thoughts. The time comes that I will gather all nations and languages, and they will come, and will see my glory.
19“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
20They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the LORD’s house.
21Of them I will also select priests and Levites,” says the LORD.
22“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me,” says the LORD, “so your offspring and your name shall remain.
23It shall happen that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before me,” says the LORD.
24“They will go out, and look at the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me; for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
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Key verses
Isaiah 66:2The Maker of all things looks with favor on the person whose contrite spirit trembles at his word.
Isaiah 66:1Heaven as God's throne and earth as his footstool expose the limits of any house people build for him.
Isaiah 66:5God addresses those rejected by their own brothers and promises that their persecutors' claims will end in shame.
Where this chapter reaches

Acts quotes the opening throne-and-footstool passage in Stephen's speech about God's dwelling, and Matthew shares its imagery of heaven and earth. Revelation shares the promise of new heavens and a new earth, alongside the vision of nations bringing their glory into Jerusalem.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What contrast do you notice between trembling at God's word and the worship condemned in verses 3–4?

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How does the final scene of judgment shape your reading of Jerusalem's promised comfort?

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Questions people ask about Isaiah 66

Why does Isaiah 66 say God does not need a temple?

YHWH identifies heaven as his throne and earth as his footstool, then declares that his hand made everything. No human building can contain or provide for him. The following verses expose worship joined to disobedience and identify the contrite person who trembles at his word as the one he favors.

What does a nation being born in one day mean in Isaiah 66?

Verses 7–9 picture Zion as a mother whose children arrive with astonishing speed. The image portrays God's ability to bring Jerusalem's promised restoration to completion. The passage names no date or modern political event; its focus is YHWH’s pledge to finish the birth he has begun.

What does the worm and fire mean in Isaiah 66:24?

The final verse depicts worshipers looking at the corpses of people who rebelled against YHWH. The undying worm and unquenched fire portray judgment whose destructive work cannot be stopped. The verse describes dead bodies and public disgrace; it does not explain every detail of the state of the dead.

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What the Bible says about worship →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).