Understanding Isaiah (Lesson 15: The Final Outcome [Chapters 65-66])

Introduction:

We have finally reached the conclusion of the book of Isaiah; which is a description of the conclusion and final goal of all of history. When Christ comes the second time, it will be the last great chapter of the world story, in which his great work of redemption will encounter the fullness of its necessary effects. In these chapters we see that Christ’s great work of restoration will be so successful as to bring about a new order of things: a new and eternal heavens and earth, no longer marred by sin and the curse; and a new people, themselves fully and finally liberated from sin and the curse, so that with joy and purity of heart they may worship their Redeemer-King forever. Let us never lose sight of this ultimate end for God’s people, this exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and hence grow weary in our well-doing. For we shall reap if we faint not (2 Corinthians 4:14-18; Galatians 6:9).

A Brief Review

Before we get into our text, as it is our last time together in the book of Isaiah, let’s take some time to review the major themes that we have thus far encountered. In the first chapter, we observed some foundational truths that would shape much of what followed in the rest of the book: Israel, God’s chosen people, because of her egregious rebellion, would be cast off; however, because of God’s great grace and faithfulness to his covenant, would not cast them off utterly, but would preserve a remnant of grace, whom he would cause to walk in his ways. From henceforth (as in actuality had always been the case) only those who had received free justification and whose hearts were made righteous could presume to call themselves God’s people. Hence, although Israel as a whole would be rejected, God would always have his true Israel, a Zion comprising those who were genuine believers in Christ.

As we moved into chapter two, we saw that this true Zion would be formed of those from every nation on the earth. In contradistinction to corrupt Israel, whose end would be a curse, true, multi-national Israel would ultimately be made to inherit the new heavens and the new earth, in perfect peace, joy, and prosperity. Chapter three gives an explicit representation of the internal paganness of Israel, and then chapter four takes up the theme of the remnant again. We saw a further development in this chapter: the remnant would only be holy and blessed because of their relationship to the coming Branch of David. Christ alone is the true remnant of Israel, who would be absolutely righteous, and merit all God’s blessings; and all who are in this Branch, by faith, would by extension possess all his righteousness and all the blessings merited by that righteousness. Chapter five, gave us a summative analogy: Israel is as a vineyard, given every advantage, that only produced worthless fruit: therefore, it would be left waste.

Chapter six, probably the first vision of Isaiah chronologically, stands as a basic introduction to the whole. Isaiah is sovereignly chosen by God to see his face and proclaim his gospel. He immediately recognizes his unworthiness, and is made worthy by the sacrifice of Christ. He is then sent out with a message that would ensure the ongoing blindness, hardness, and rejection of Israel. However, this would not be the end of the story; although Israel would be cut down as a mighty tree, from that stump would spring up a new tree which would be utterly holy. Which prophecy is fulfilled in Christ, who arose from corrupt Israel, accomplished true righteousness, and caused a new Israel to spring up again – an Israel that, through faith in him, was holy indeed.

Chapter seven looks ahead more explicitly than ever to the coming Christ. He would be the very fulfillment of the covenant promises, being Immanuel, God with us. This assurance is given to the church as a certain hope in her severest difficulties; but the majority of Israel (as Ahaz) would reject this certain hope and look for salvation in other quarters. Hence Immanuel (in chapter eight) is called a stone of stumbling to Israel as a whole; but to those who believe, he is a sure foundation. Chapter nine continues this prophecy of Immanuel, providing us with one of the most precious descriptions of Christ anywhere in the bible; wholly God and truly man, come to establish his everlasting kingdom of righteousness. Chapter ten announces coming judgment on Assyria (for God will judge the whole earth, and not just Israel) and chapter eleven describes further the coming King, the righteous Branch of David. Chapter twelve sums up this portion with a song of praise, to be sung by the redeemed.

Chapters 13-24 announce God’s judgment, in systematic fashion, on the entire world; then chapters 25-27 assure us that judgment is not going to be the end. For God, in his mercy, would create for his remnant of grace a new heavens and earth, where they will worship Christ forever. Chapters 28-34 again take up the theme of God’s universal judgment, bringing into condemnation the nations of the earth as well as all those who trust in them; and chapter 35 again looks ahead to the new creation, where righteousness and peace, through Christ, will triumph over sin and judgment. Chapters 36-39 give us a few historical accounts that illustrate the truths that God does indeed reign over history, bringing judgment upon the mightiest of nations and holding forth mercy to those who are truly his. This concludes the first major portion of Isaiah.

When we began the second major portion of Isaiah (chapters 40-66), we observed that God is eminently concerned with displaying his glory. We noted that the ultimate way in which he does this is through his mighty work of redemption. This work, we saw, would be perfectly accomplished by the coming of the Servant of the Lord, the long-awaited Christ. Then, when we got to chapter fifty-three, we learned something shocking: Christ would accomplish this mightiest of all works, which would display God’s glory more clearly than it could ever otherwise have been seen, by being humbled and degraded. We noted that Christ, through his sufferings, would obtain redemption and eternal life for his people; and that the effects of his great success would spread until they covered the entire earth. Because of all this, Isaiah spends some time exhorting the people of God to true religion, and not just the outward appearance of it. Finally, as we moved into chapter sixty-three, we saw unfolding one last great development in God’s redemptive design. Christ will return a second time: but this time, he will not be in a state of humiliation – weak, despised, and as a lamb for slaughter. No, he will come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as a glorious conquering warrior, whom no one can resist, and before whom the whole earth will bow in terror.

A New Heavens and Earth [Chapter 65]

Isaiah sixty-five begins with another expression of the truth that we have seen so many times before. God had determined to call the Gentiles to himself, although they had not sought him; but Israel, for her stubbornness, would be cast off. Paul interprets this prophecy for us in Romans 10:20-21. The reasons for Israel’s rejection follows: she is disobedient, idolatrous, and “holier than thou”. These sins were all written before God, and he would avenge them. However, their destruction would not be complete, because God would preserve a remnant. Just as a vineyard owner, who is about to destroy his entire worthless vineyard, when he sees one cluster of grapes will at least save that much, so God will spare a small remnant whose latter end will be a blessing. These are God’s elect, the new seed that would come out of Israel, and are set in opposition to Israel as a whole, who forsake God’s holy mountain and are therefore marked out for slaughter. True Israel would eat, false Israel be hungry; true Israel rejoice, false Israel weep, and so on. Even the name of Israel – that is, the Israel who hypocritically supposed that they were God’s people even though they hated God – would be as a curse to true Israel. Because God was about to deal so harshly with these hypocrites, their name would serve as an element of a fearful curse, such as, “May the Lord destroy you as he destroyed Israel!” But how utterly different is to be the state of the true Israel! For them, God will create a new heavens and a new earth, in which sin, death, sorrow, and the curse will be forever done away.

Verse twenty is somewhat difficult. It seems to be speaking of the new creation, about which we know from other passages that there will be no death whatsoever (e.g. Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:1-5). So, this may be a literary device, speaking of the fact that death will afflict no one, so that, even if a man were to die at the good old age of a hundred years, he would be shown to be a sinner by the fact he had died at all. Where there is no sin, there is no death; and the hypothetical illustration of the end of one who is yet a sinner in the new earth (of whom there will really be none) serves to illustrate this truth. Or perhaps premature death, one of the great afflictions of this life, is here included with violence, sorrow, etc., as one of the things that will not afflict the new earth, and so the presence of death is not the point of the passage at all, but it is simply used as a way in which to teach that premature death will be put away. Another interpretation is that this is referring to the state of true Jerusalem before the new earth; which is less satisfactory, because the church in this world is spoken of as being often grieved by many trials, premature death and martyrdom being among them. Some see this prophecy as necessitating a future thousand-year millennial reign in which death will be alleviated to some degree, but not utterly overcome. This is unlikely because the context is specifically concerning the new earth, in which death will be completely done away. Besides, later texts such as 2 Thessalonians 1 make clear that Christ’s second coming will immediately result in the final state of things, and not in a better but still imperfect millennial state. A final possibility is that the contrary states of the righteous and the wicked, in the final order of things, is here being described. The wicked so often seemed to be long-lived and prosperous, but they are now seen to be accursed. But there will be no death or curse at all for those who dwell in the new earth. Perhaps a combination of thoughts is to be preferred: throughout the whole span of life, childhood to old age, death will have no more power in the new earth: death will not be in the new earth. And furthermore, if a sinner (speaking hypothetically) were to be found in the new earth, even there the curse would find him and destroy him: sin will not be in the new earth. Both death and sin will be put away forever.

A New Israel [Chapter 66]

Chapter sixty-six begins with a statement that sets true religion against the false hope of the majority of the Jews, who thought that they were doing good works that would cause God to be for them; and who thought that, having the outward appearance of religion, they also had the essence symbolized. How different is true religion! We cannot do anything to bribe or manipulate God, who made all things, and does things for his people out of pure grace (cf. Acts 17:24-25). And the outward symbols of religion, such as the temple, are not the true matters of religion, but merely symbols of better realities. The new earth, in which God himself will dwell among men, is the true fulfilment of the temple principle; because in the new earth, Christ, whose body is the temple, will be eternally present. And it is to this, and not to the physical building, that Israel should have been looking. On this basis, the true, inward matters of the heart are again shown to be of highest importance. Only those who are truly God’s people, not just his in name and outward appearance, will be finally saved. The meek shall inherit the earth. Accordingly, Isaiah here comforts those who are truly God’s: even though their so-called brothers, those who are Jews outwardly, persecuted them while giving lip service to God’s glory; yet when Christ returns, he will vindicate those who are truly his, and punish all hypocrites.

In verses six and following, Isaiah looks ahead to the miraculous speed at which the false Israel will be cast off and the true Israel brought forth as a child. This is most likely to be interpreted by the circumstance that, once Christ had accomplished redemption, God had no sooner cast off false Israel for rejecting their Messiah, than he caused to spring forth suddenly an entire new nation of Israel, a nation that was Israel indeed. Which occurred on the day of Pentecost, when above three thousand souls were suddenly drawn by the Spirit unto Christ, and made to constitute the new Israel, which should be from all the nations. The remainder of the chapter speaks of the vast growth of this new Israel. Persons from every nation would join her ranks, and would be constituted Israel’s brothers, even priests and Levites. These, his true servants, would be formed into a new nation, just as the old Israel had been formed into a nation at Sinai; but God’s enemies, who were his people in name only, but were inwardly polluted, would be made to feel the fury of his wrath. This new Israel would not be as the old Israel. Just as the new heavens and the new earth would abide forever, due to the successful redemptive work of Christ, so his new people would abide forever and inherit their eternal resting place in the new earth. The wicked, on the other hand, will perish in eternal fire.

Hallelujah

I’m looking up
Holding out
Pressing forward
Without a doubt
Longing for the things unseen
Longing for the things I believe
My true country

We hope and wait
For the glorious day
All tears will vanish
Wiped away
On the saints this day already shines
On the saints this day already shines
It already shines

We’ll be singing hallelujah
We’ll be singing hallelujah
At the top of our lungs, hallelujah
With all of our breath, hallelujah)
To Your glory, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

And I know that it’s coming
But I can’t see it now
And I’ve touched it in moments
But I can’t hold it yet
And it glows in the darkness
And it calls us away
To our true destination
to that glorious day

Written by Peter Furlera. Performed by Newsboys, in their album “Adoration”.

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