In Isaiah 66:22 God is speaking: “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.”

Wow!

The old heavens and the old earth (our current home) will apparently not last forever. God is going to remake them.

Yes, in the future there will be “new heavens and a new earth.”

According to our Text here, and also according to 2 Peter 2:13 and Revelation 21:1.

And these two entities (both “new” places) will never need to be replaced! No sin can taint them, the source of sin (Satan) having been banished to eternal punishment! “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, SHALL REMAIN (existing on and on and on,perpetually) before me.”

But then, God promises Israel (in our verse, Isaiah 66:22) that “so shall your seed and your name remain.” That means remain forever, too!

Never will there be a day when Israel does not exist!

God did not make such a commitment to Germany!

Or the United States!

But to ISRAEL!

No wonder so many scholars call the Old Testament the “Jewish Bible!”

I close with this idea: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” Psalm 122:6, a great verse to practice.

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Isaiah chapter 66 has become quite an interesting Text to me, loaded with prophetic information, far beyond my expectations!

I think I see yet another place (in today’s Text) where Paul has perhaps quoted Isaiah, or at least alluded to the Prophet’s words.

A whole Paragraph today, our Bible Study Lesson:

“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. 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.” Isaiah 66:15-18

The Lord (Jesus) … coming again, the Second Time. (His First Coming via the Virgin Birth obviously does NOT fulfill these predictions.) “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.”

Now the Apostle Paul, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 … “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

Sound alike, these two? They sure do to me!

Then Isaiah 66:17 graphically depicts some of the sins (egregious in God’s Eyes) a host of heathen, lost, rebellious, Jew-haters will be committing in those coming, dark days. (Even though some of them might racially be Jews!) “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.”

Here the eating of unclean food symbolizes (I suspect) numerous and abominable acts that have (finally) exhausted God’s Patience. Judgment has come. And as I said in the Lesson title, “Armageddon!”

No doubt “idolatry” in all its lewd forms, provoking God one last time.

All of them “shall be consumed together.” The rare Hebrew verb used here is “suph,” meaning “to be brought to an end!”

But Preacher Bagwell, what makes you so sure this is Armageddon? The last verse of our Text proves it, conclusively. “For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I (the Lord) WILL GATHER ALL NATIONS AND TONGUES; and they shall come, and see my glory.” Isaiah 66:18 … but also read Revelation 16:14-16 for a description of the same event.

Wow!

They shall “see God’s Glory,” His Wrath included! (God’s Glory is often defined as “the Sum Total of all His Attributes,” which would include His Holy Anger, Judgment, hatred of sin.

What a writer, Isaiah.

What a Preacher, too.

These verses today … every bit as informative and uplifting as anything John wrote from Patmos hundreds of years later!

Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Just part of a verse today, as our Bible Study Text …

“And the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.” Isaiah 66:14

What child of God, all of us being His “servants” in some way or another, would not enjoy this status: “The hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants.”

God’s Hand, clearly in a good sense … being made known, being apparent, being “felt” … upon His “servants!”

This is what Nehemiah prayed incessantly. “Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.” Nehemiah 2:18

John the Baptist experienced such a Blessing as well … “And the hand of the Lord was with him.” Luke 1:66

The early Church too … “And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” Acts 11:21

Oh, how I long (as I am sure you do as well) for God’s Hand to be “made known” in my life, in my preaching, in my Ministry!

And some day, currently in the future, God’s Hand is going to be that manifest upon Israel, His Chosen nation!

And equally so, God’s fierce Anger will be poured upon the enemies of the Jews! (Foes, antagonists who also oppose Almighty God.)

That’s the very Essence of our Verse today … “And the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.”

During the Millennium.

Amazing, and thrilling too!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Isaiah 66 has been quite a chapter! With more to come, really! (I just saw a Book that calls Revelation the “capstone” of the whole Bible. That’s what Isaiah 66 is to the whole Book, to the whole Prophecy, as well.)

Today our Text focuses on Isaiah 66:10-13. An advance view of Israel’s place in God’s future world, during the Millennium. (I am leaving the verse numbers in place, to help us locate the phrases or clauses upon which I comment.)

“10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: 11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Written to people (most likely us Christians who obey Psalm 122:6) who genuinely “love Israel” and have “grieved” over her many trials … “10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her.”

Be happy for Jerusalem, Her Mesiah has come!

Millennially speaking, Jerusalem (and thus Israel) will be enjoying security and blessing as never before … with (King) Jesus on the Throne.

The second “rejoice” in verse 10 is “giyl” in Hebrew. To be so excited that one “spins round and round!”

The next two verses, 11 and 12, use the word picture of a nursing baby benefitting from her (or his) healthy mother! Read with me: 11 That ye (us saved gentiles) may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her (Jerusalem’s) consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.”

Israel, the financial and political and scientific capital of the world!

(As in Zechariah 8:23 … “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”)

Wow!

And verse 13 … “comfort” for the whole world (what’s left of it after Armageddon) … via Jerusalem and Judah and Israel!

“13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” God speaking!

Israel’s “reputation, glory, honor” now restored!

Because of Jesus the Messiah!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Jesus used the term with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who consulted our Lord one evening long ago. “Marvel not that I said unto thee, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.” John 3:3 and 7.

And our Lord (Scripturally) learned that Expression from … Isaiah the Prophet, his writings!

God, speaking of Israel’s future Salvation, declared in Isaiah 66:9 … “Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.”

God as attending Physician in the birthing room!

But He is more than that, God as Creator of life … prior to the birthing room. As the very Lord of the birthing room!

He (the Lord) will some day (after the Tribulation has sufficiently humbled her (Israel) and brought her to the point of conviction) “will bring her to birth!” A second birth for that little nation! 

Then God promises to “cause her to bring forth!” Looks to me like Israel is now having children of her own! A host of “new births” as the Millennium begins, as Jesus returns to earth! Riding John’s “white horse” of victory, described in Revelation chapter 19.

And this birth will be successful, guaranteed! “Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.” (Throughout the whole Old Testament God is the Shutter and the Opener of the womb!)

Rachel’s words from Genesis 30:1 prefigure Israel’s new attitude here: “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.”

“GIVE ME CHILDREN, OR ELSE I DIE.” And God is now giving Israel children, lots of them.

To quote Isaiah 66:8 … “a nation will be born (again) in a day!” The King James Version, word for word: “Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once?”

Wow!

This Move of God, this true upcoming “Revival” may exceed the dimensions (the numbers) of any such Stirring in all the history of the Bible!

More than Pentecost!

More than Jonah’s converts in Nineveh!

Jesus, the True Evangelist!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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