Isaiah 66

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Isaiah 66
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Sovereign God and His People in the Final Vision of Isaiah

Scripture: Isaiah 66

I. The Unsurpassed Sovereignty of the Lord

A. God opens the final chapter by refocusing attention on his own character and nature (Isaiah 66:1–2)

1. Heaven is his throne and earth his footstool — he is uncontainable
2. Even the new creation cannot contain him; he transcends what he has made
3. Solomon's question at the temple dedication echoes here: will God indeed dwell on the earth? (1 Kings 8:27)

B. God is powerful

1. "All these things my hand has made and so all these things came to be" (Isaiah 66:2)
2. His power to bring to birth what he has purposed: "Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?" (Isaiah 66:9)

C. God is all-knowing (Isaiah 66:18)

1. "For I know their works" — nothing is hidden from him
2. The psalmist asks: where can I flee from your presence? (Psalm 139:7) — the implied answer is nowhere
3. This omniscience is meant as comfort: the Lord sees the suffering of his people and will act

D. God is holy — his character demands that sin be dealt with; he will judge the wicked

E. God is loving — he speaks of himself as a nursing mother comforting her children (Isaiah 66:13); his covenant name (LORD) overflows with his love for those he has chosen

II. The Divergent Dispositions of Rebel and Remnant

A. The disposition of the remnant (Isaiah 66:2)

1. Humble and contrite in spirit
2. Trembles at God's word — a sensitivity to it that allows it to shape and move them
3. This disposition marks those who acknowledge their unworthiness and need of a Savior

B. The disposition of the rebel (Isaiah 66:3–4)

1. Lawful sacrifices are compared to pagan abominations when offered by those whose hearts are turned away
2. "These have chosen their own ways and their soul delights in their abominations"
3. Echoes the refrain of Judges: everyone did what was right in their own eyes
4. They do not tremble at God's word; they go their own way

C. Self-reflection invited

1. What is your disposition toward the Lord and his word?
2. The remnant may waver, but the Lord is faithful to keep his people in a humble posture before him

III. The Continuous Conditions for Rebel and Remnant

A. Judgment for the wicked — declaration of condemnation (Isaiah 66:15–17)

1. The Lord comes in fire and with his sword to judge all flesh
2. After the flood, the form of God's judgment becomes fire — seen throughout Scripture and in Revelation
3. Those not covered by the suffering servant must face this judgment themselves

B. The closing word of the book: everlasting anguish for rebels (Isaiah 66:24)

1. "Their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched"
2. This is comfort for the weary remnant: the Lord will fully and finally deal with wickedness
3. This final judgment was borne by Christ as the suffering servant for his people (Isaiah 53)

C. The ingathering and everlasting comfort for the remnant (Isaiah 66:18–23)

1. The Lord gathers all nations and tongues to see his glory
2. Survivors are sent to the far nations to declare his glory; the brothers of Zion are brought from all nations as an offering to the Lord
3. Some are taken for priests and Levites — the privileges of the covenant extended universally
4. The offspring of the suffering servant (Isaiah 53) — those named sons and daughters of God through the servant's work — are gathered, nursed, and satisfied
5. As the new heavens and new earth endure, so shall the Lord's people: from new moon to new moon, from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall worship before him (Isaiah 66:22–23)

D. Fulfillment in Christ

1. Christ, the firstborn of Zion, brings a multitude of children to God
2. His invitation echoes Isaiah's comfort: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28)
3. The Lord's Supper: "Drink of it, all of you" — the abundance of Zion is found in Christ himself
4. In him believers have been adopted and obtained an inheritance (Ephesians 1:11)
5. The invitation stands: drink deeply from Christ, the source of all comfort and peace