Community Bible Study -- Isaiah
Text of Presentation, Lesson 22, Isa 65:17-66:24
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The Final Judgment
The Terror and the Glory
Last week we discussed the claim of the Jews presented
by Isaiah that their sinful condition is Gods fault
. . . because He gave them hard hearts . . . because Hes
far away and has "hidden (his) face" (64:7) from them.
Well briefly discuss Gods answer to those charges
(65:1-16) even though its not part of tonights
focal passage.
In 65:1, God says He is not hidden or distant, but has
"revealed" himself to people who did not call on his
name. The problem is not God, but the Jews. Rather than
submitting to Gods ways of living, they rebelled and lived
lives of self-willed, self-serving sin. They relied on their
status as God's elect and sought to placate God with cult and
liturgy, while being "obstinate" and walking in
"not good" ways they devised for themselves.
Their contrary ways of living included worship practices designed
to manipulate God just like their pagan neighbors did with
their gods. Pagans believed the attitude of the
worshiper was unimportant; all that mattered was whether a ritual
was done correctly. The more pious Jews followed Gods
ritual . . . but according to chapter 65, some Jews engaged in
the same practices as their pagan neighbors. Nevertheless, the
point is that God finds ritualism of any sort disgusting when it
fails to express the important thing: a changed heart . . . and
this is where the Jews fall short. God pronounces doom on these
people in 65:13-16, but says His servants will be
blessed.
This sets up tonights focal passage. 65:17-25 opens up a
critical aspect of biblical revelation: God had a fundamental
problem as He began to reveal himself to the Hebrews. Their
neighbors believed this world is only a dim reflection of an
invisible world of the gods: humans had no real choices;
everything happened because of actions of the gods. God had to
show his people this world is real, and humans have real choices
to make. To accomplish this Gods revelations through most
of the Old Testament make no reference to any reality beyond this
world; only when the Hebrews believe this world is real does God
give mankind a glimpse of the rest of reality.
Thats whats happening here. God pulls back the
curtain of heaven, and explains that the effects of human choice
are all not experienced in this life: the good we do is not all
rewarded here, nor is all the evil punished. But if anyone is
tempted to think this revelation confirms the pagan viewpoint,
God reveals He will "create" something new (65:17).
Earthly realities give way to new heavenly realities, so we may
experience joy but no weeping (65:18-19) . . . the delight
of birth without premature death (65:20) . . . the
satisfaction of building without fear of destruction and
conquest (65:21-23). Gods servants will be
blessed" (65:13-16, 23): rewards and punishments for
our choices begin now, but will not be completed until Gods
new creative activity in the future. The language of 65:25 is
reminiscent of the vision of the Messianic kingdom in chapter 11,
and even includes some identical language (11:9).
The typical modern attitude toward good and evil in the world
even among Christians is to think of God like a good
god and Satan like a bad god, with humans as pawns in a cosmic
war game. But this reflects the dualism and fatalism of pagan
thinking. By contrast, the Bible says sin is in the world for
only one reason: human choice. Satan did not make Adam and Eve
sin; he tempted them to sin. And presumably, if our first
forbearers had not sinned, creation would still be in a pristine
condition today. In other words, human choice determines the
shape of reality.
The significance of the coming new heaven and new earth is that
we can choose to be faithful today, secure in the knowledge that
even if our life on earth is not one of honor and privilege,
justice will be served in the end. If we find no reward for good
actions today, we know our right choices will be accounted for in
the new reality yet to come. Similarly, if we get
away with something today, that wrong act will be imprinted
on a future reality. We shape our future.
Some Christians spend a lot of time arguing about the
Millennium," but the only important issue is whether we are
Gods servants (cf 65:13-15, 66:14) or His
enemies (cf 63:10, 66:6). Since the reality we
experience in the days to come will be shaped by our choices now,
we need to think about the effects of those choices. This is what
Paul meant when he wrote to Titus:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2: 11-13).
If it is true that some people are so heavenly minded,
they are no earthly good" . . . many more people
especially today seem to have forgotten that our story
doesnt end at the grave, but on the other side!
That brings us to chapter 66, the closing. 66:1-6 is a final
diatribe against ritualism. Some verses seem to condemn temple
worship and animal sacrifices, but thay are probably hyperbole .
. . emphasizing as Isaiah has before (cf 57:3-13, 65:1-5)
that God finds empty ritualism without a repentant and
obedient heart is worse than useless.
In earlier chapters, Isaiah has identified self-exaltation as the
central human problem. Mankind is fragile physically and
psychologically so to protect ourselves and satisfy what
we consider our needs, we try to lift ourselves up and grab
power. Ritualistic religion is about trying to manipulate God
but it is also about exalting ourselves by manipulating
other people. Isaiah has emphasized before that because God alone
is exalted, human attempts to usurp God's power by exalting
ourselves will fail.
God esteems the "humble and contrite in
spirit," who tremble at his word (66:2). Using ritual to
enhance one's power is choosing one's "own ways"
(66:3), not Gods way even if the ritual is
Gods ritual. God insists again contrary to what the
Jews claim (cf 64:12) that He is the one who has
"called" and they are the ones who have been silent
(66:4).
In 66:5-6, God speaks to the humble, who tremble at his
word" (66:5, cf 66:2). Because they have chosen lowliness
and powerlessness, they are victimized by the powerful, who mock
them for their simplistic piety. But Gods on their side,
and will vindicate them. By contrast, God will punish ritualists
right in the temple where they think God is at their
command because they are His enemies" (66:6, cf
1:24).
66:7-14 describe fulfillment of Gods promise in chapter 1
to Lady Zion. The dross has been purged away; Zion is no longer a
harlot; she is the faithful city again, mother of nations (cf
1:21-27). The image of the fruitful mother recalls Isaiahs
earlier mentions of barrenness: a curse among ancient peoples.
Pagans practiced fertility rituals to overcome this curse, but
Isaiah says the only real life is that given by God as a free
gift in response to surrender and obedience. Moreover, God gives
out of proportion to what weve done. Humans require arduous
and painful work to meet their own needs, like giving birth; but
God's gifts are like childbirth without labor (66:7-9). Thus our
needs are best met by being in a position to receive God's gifts
. . . nursing at the breasts" of Zion (66:11)
an image of mankind as a baby, incapable of satisfying its own
needs, but amply provided for in dependence on its parents.
The result is peace" (66:12) and "comfort"
(66:13); the Hebrew text connotes rest, rejoicing, and wholeness,
and (as in 12:1 and elsewhere) encouragement. Those who feel the
weight of their sin, who know they are powerlessness to deal with
it, can come to God in penitent faith that he can do something
about it. And like a child on its mother's lap, they will be put
at ease, believing recovery is possible.
But Isaiah never wants his readers to feel so secure in God's
love that they forget God is also a God of judgment. The Lord's
hand" (66:14) of deliverance, redemption, and power
will be revealed to "His servants" but "His
enemies" will experience Gods fury. We want to be sure
we are among Gods servants not his foes!
66:15-24 concludes the book by again intertwining the themes of
judgment and hope. The beginning (66:15-17) and the end (66:24)
speak of the coming judgment for those who rebel against God and
attempt to usurp his power. God has sent his Servant/Messiah to
offer forgiveness through repentance and faith for the present .
. . but a day will come when Gods "fire" (66:15,
16:24) will be unleashed against the unrepentant. Judgment is a
reality everyone must reckon with; just as there are inescapable
consequences for our choices in the visible world, so also in the
new heaven and new earth.
But Isaiah again makes clear that judgment is not what God wants.
66:18-23 speak of universal redemption as God's desired way of
bringing this sinful world to its close. God will use the very
sins and schemes of the rebellious to reveal the glory of his
salvation (66:18). The people of Zion ("them") who
"survive" (66:19, cf 4:2) the attempts of an evil world
to destroy them will be sent to the "nations" with a
"sign" of God's "glory." Their survival is a
sign, but Christ is the preeminent evidence of God's glory in
triumphing over evil. The nations will respond by restoring the
last remnants of the Israelites (your brothers,"
66:20) to Israel in a final great ingathering.
Then God says: "I will select some of them also to be
priests and Levites" (66:21). In the NIV, them"
appears to mean the restored Israelites . . . but I understand
most commentators reading the original Hebrew agree
the antecedent is probably the nations." If that is
correct, this is a strong statement that the election of Israel
is not just for the Jews, but for the world . . . because
Gods chosen ministers in the new heavens and new earth will
include non-Jews.
66:22-23 speaks of the entire human race coming to worship God,
confirming that the goal of all God has done on earth is that we,
his creatures, may have fellowship with him.
Nevertheless, Isaiah doesnt end his book with the picture
of the light streaming from Zion (chapters 60-62) or the vision
of a new heaven and new earth; Isaiah ends with a grisly note of
judgment in 66:24. Why end this way? Isaiah ends the book as he
begun it. In chapter 1 he spoke of the day when Jerusalem will be
transformed by righteousness and justice into "the Faithful
City" (1:21-27), but chapter 1 ended by announcing the
destruction awaiting those who do not repent. Isaiah emphasizes
that the wonderful promises of God are not for those who persist
in rebellion. Only those who worship the one true God will
participate in Gods promises in the new heaven and a new
earth (66:22) . . . and the choice is up to us. Isaiah
doesnt want that forgotten; Isaiah doesnt want us to
be complacent!
A number of Isaiahs key themes reappear at the end of the
book: humility and contrition vs ritualism and rebellion; God's
gift of abundance vs the fundamental barrenness of the earth,
mother of the nations; fire as a symbol of God's holiness,
destructive or cleansing; a place for all nations not just
Israel in the worship and service of God; and Gods
ultimate goal of creation as mans worship of and fellowship
with the Creator.
How to conclude this final session? Chapter 66 is about the
fundamental choice facing humanity. Those who accept Gods
ways in humility will enjoy eternal fellowship with Him in a new
heaven and a new earth, but those who arrogantly seek their own
ways will perish eternally. Today the church emphasizes
Isaiahs hope theme: that God loves everyone and
has wonderful plans for their lives; yet we must not overlook
Isaiahs judgment theme: what will happen to
those who reject God's plan. Preaching both hope and judgment is
a difficult balance! But one really important way to start is to
reject modern "have it your way" attitudes, which is a
deadly doctrine. Children in particular must be taught that
actions have consequences, and we are responsible for our
choices.
Another countercultural idea emphasized in Isaiah is that we
cannot supply our own needs . . . that mans efforts to be
self-sufficient as in independent from God is the
source of all our problems going back to Adam and Eve. We are no
different from our forefathers; and Isaiah teaches we must
recognize our own self-sufficient tendencies, ask God to
sensitize us to them; quit trying to manipulate God through
rituals; allow God to show us what our real needs are, and wait
patiently for God to show us how he will meet those needs.
Usually God meets our needs through ordinary means he has placed
in our hands already, but sometimes he does it in ways completely
beyond us.
This brings up the goal of life: in the end our only real need is
God. With him, we have everything; without him, whatever we have
is nothing. Many people have this backwards: they think they
serve God to get a blessing, but we serve God to be blessed.
Theres a difference; Christianity is not a
name-it-and-claim-it game, nor is heaven a place
where we get riches and live in luxury. Heaven is where we live
with God for eternity!
If we think about this, it may change our view of what the
Christian life is about. We shouldnt expect that living a
Christian life guarantees certain benefits to the believer . . .
thats what Isaiah has been attacking throughout his book
(especially chapters 56-66). We arent guaranteed special
status as the elect of God because we go through a
salvation ritual and say the right words; that was
the error of the Jews who survived the Exile; they believed
Gods promises were theirs no matter what they did as
long as they practiced the required religious ritual.
Gods attitude is that the person who knows Him humbly and
joyously manifests His life in his or her behavior. That is never
possible as a result of human effort but only as a result of
complete reliance on God, and God calls us today to manifest his
righteous life in our relationships. We can only do that by
living in submission to God, with our will surrendered to the
Holy Spirit, so Gods life can be lived through us. That is
what heaven will be but its something we can have
today!
God has delivered us by the blood of Jesus Christ, so He can
write his covenant on our hearts through the power of the Holy
Spirit, take up residence in the tabernacle of our hearts, and
fill that tabernacle with the glory that fills the earth. In the
context of the beginning and end of the book of Isaiah, we might
say God wants to move each of us as He did Isaiah
from a place where we cry in horror, Woe to me . . . I am a
man of unclean lips . . . and my eyes have seen . . . the LORD
Almighty" (6:5), to a place where we come and see
[his] glory" (66: 18) and not merely to survive the
experience, but to have that glory reside in us. That we
learn from Isaiah is the goal of life.