“A New Heaven and a New Earth”
Isaiah 66:15-24

August 7, 2005
by C.W. Powell

In the last two weeks we looked at the first several verses of Isaiah 66 in the light of Deacon Stephen’s defense in Acts 7. Stephen would be the first martyr of the Christian Church after that of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He had been accused of saying that Jesus of Nazarus would destroy the temple and do away with the customs that Moses had given to Israel. It was a false charge, of course, because the Jew had no understanding of his own religion, and had turned His temple worship into idolatry.

As we saw last week, there is no temple in which you can enclose God. He won’t fit into the boxes in which you put Him He fills the heavens and the earth. At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon said: “But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!” (2Ch 6:18 AV)

Stephen’s quotation of Isaiah 66 is a pointed to where the heart of his defense lies. So let us look again to Isaiah 66.

Vs. 1. God does not dwell in temples made with hands.
Vs. 2. God dwells with those of a humble and contrite heart, who do not tremble at ceremonies, but at the word of God.
Vs. 3. There ceremonies had become abominable, because they were not offered to the true God, but to an idol of their own fashioning. Not agraven image of course, but an idol image in their own hearts.
Vs. 4. They had chosen their own way, and now God makes His choice, to choose to bring horror upon them.
Vs. 5. God’s people, the humble and contrite, would be misunderstood and cast out, persecuted by those who had converted the Temple into a place of idolatry.
Vs. 6-8. The voice from the true Temple was very different from that which Israel taught. They did not understand the message and so did not recognize Christ when He came, and persecuted those who believed on Him. But they would be vindicated and receive the kingdom of God.
Vs. 9-14. The humble and contrite, who do not tremble at ceremonies, but at the word of God, will be comforted as a man is comforted by his mother. They will know the peace of God and the message of the gospel will go to the end of the world.

Today let us look at the rest of this chapter, which closes the book of Isaiah, and sees to the end of the world and the judgment of the nations. Many years of history are telescoped into these verses, which are filled with many figures and images.

“15 For, behold, 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. 16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

The mission of Christ, when He came was very different from what Israel imagined. He said, ““Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Mt 10:34 AV) Christ uses the same figure that Isaiah uses. The sword comes from His mouth.

You have to deal with the words of Jesus Christ, for they will judge you at the last day. His words come with authority and you cannot escape their force. You must make a decision; not to make a decisions is still a decision. If the house is on fire and you decide to ignore the fire alarms, you have still made a decision and must deal with the consequences of your decision.

You cannot say in the day of judgment that so and so believed this and so and so thought that. Every man and woman must give a personal account of himself before the Lord. You cannot rest in your mother's or fathers opinion or this great man or that great man.

17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one [tree] in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. 18 For I [know] their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

Ceremonies of religion that do not come from faith and love for Christ and His people are abominable to the Lord, as if you sacrificed in the Temple the mouse and the pig. The Lord had utter contempt for the religion of the hypocrites. He knows their thoughts and their works. Jesus said, “the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof.” Jesus Christ is the glory of God, the wisdom of God, and the brightest light of heaven and earth—there is nothing that compares in glory with Him who died for our sins, and the nations and tongues of the world would see Him, who was rejected by the people who gloried in the Temple, but did not know the God of the Temple. Jesus “came unto his own and his own received him not. But as many has received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on His name.”

19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 20 And they shall bring all your brethren [for] an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

But a remnant would be saved from the nation of Israel, and they would carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, as Paul write later:

“1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, [of] the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of] Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Ro 11:1-5 AV)

The glory of God—read, Jesus Christ—would be declared among the Gentiles. The result would be true worship throughout the world.

A. Paul would glory in the cross of Christ, and this glory of Christ would be preached throughout the world. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.

B. The result would be an establishment of true religion. The elect of God would be gathered into the fold of the Jerusalem which is above. Isaiah is predicting here what the writer of Hebrews counts as fulfilled in Heb 12:

“18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which [voice] they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
21 And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape], if we turn away from him that [speaketh] from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God [is] a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:18-29 AV)

C. Stephen’s defense is one that would be made again and again in the early church: Messiah is come, that which the temple and its worship signified is now fulfilled and all those things are to pass away, replaced by the spiritual worship of God. The King is in Heaven; Our High Priest is in Heaven; our Conversation is in Heaven. That which was spoken by Moses is not abrogated, but fulfilled and the words of Moses are vindicated. Just as John the Baptist passed from the scene when the bridegroom appeared, so Moses passes away when the message of the temple is fulfilled.

21 And I will also take of them for priests [and] for Levites, saith the LORD. 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” (Isa 66:15-24 AV)

A new order is established by the coming of Christ, and Isaiah sees it to its fulfillment. Christ brought in a new order in heaven, for He sits at the right hand of the Father directing all things until the end of the world and His second coming when all hidden things shall be revealed.

A new order is established on earth, for the old priesthood passes away and those who hear the Gospel are kings and priests before the Lord. Their seed and their name will continue until the end of the world.

The blessed of God shall worship the Lord in true rest and righteousness forever and ever. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken [it].” (Isa 25:8 AV)

“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Re 7:17 AV)

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Re 21:4 AV)

Those who are damned in their unbelief will be on display for eternity. Jesus spoke of this in Mark 9, using the very language of Isaiah 66.

“43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mr 9:43-48 AV)

Application:

1. We are to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Our worship is to be directed there and not on things on the earth. All earthly ceremonies and rites are designed and used to direct our thoughts to our Father who art in Heaven. We are to have no earthly thought of Him, as though He dwelt in holy objects and things as the catechism teaches us.

“1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Col 3:1-4 AV)

2. Let us not return to what Paul calls the beggarly elements of Jewish worship, for all those things passed away when the Way the Truth and the Life appears. Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, sanctification and redemption. The fullness is in Him. We are complete in Him. Even in Heaven there will be no temple, for God “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Re 21:22 AV)

3. So here we have the summary of Deacon Stephen’s witness and defense. He had not spoken against the Temple and the worship, but they had debased and corrupted the worship by turning away from Christ and the message of the Temple. It would therefore be destroyed and would never be rebuilt, for God does not dwell in temples made with hands but in the hearts of those who believe in Christ and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Amen and Amen. May God bless you.