Isaiah 66:15-24·~1 min

Final Judgments against the Wicked

The LORD comes in fire with chariots like a whirlwind to execute His anger and rebuke with flames, because by fire and sword He will judge all flesh and many will fall slain before Him. Those who purify themselves for idolatrous groves and defiling foods will perish together, showing that self-made holiness only hastens true judgment.

F¹⁵or behold, the LORD will come with fire— ¹⁶For by fire and by His sword, ¹⁷“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves — to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats — will perish together,” declares the LORD.

Knowing all deeds and thoughts, the LORD comes to gather all nations and tongues to see His glory, and from among the survivors He sends messengers to far-off peoples who have never heard of Him. They proclaim His glory among the nations and bring scattered brothers back to Jerusalem as an offering, and so expansive is this ingathering that God even appoints some from among them as priests and Levites.

¹⁸“And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory. ¹⁹I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations — to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. ²⁰So they will proclaim My glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.” ²¹“And I will select some of them as priests and Levites,” says the LORD.

As surely as the new heavens and new earth endure before the LORD, so the offspring and name of His people will remain, and all flesh will come regularly to bow before Him. Yet the closing image is not sentimental: worshipers look upon the corpses of the rebels whose worm does not die and whose fire is not quenched, a perpetual reminder that holiness and judgment remain part of God's final order.

²²“For just as the new heavens and the new earth, ²³From one New Moon to another ²⁴“As they go forth, they will see the corpses

Section summaryThe final movement reveals the LORD coming in fire and whirlwind to render judgment on all flesh, especially those who sanctify themselves for abominable practices. Yet judgment also serves a global purpose, for God gathers the nations to behold His glory, sends survivors to proclaim that glory far away, brings the scattered brothers back to Jerusalem as an offering, appoints even some from among them as priests and Levites, and establishes worship that endures as surely as the new heavens and new earth, while leaving the wicked as an everlasting warning.

Role in the chapterThis section concludes the book by combining universal judgment, worldwide mission, gathered worship, and final abhorrence.