66:1 This is what the Lord says: “The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where then is the house you will build for me? Where is the place where I will rest? 

 

Jehovah sits upon His throne in heaven. The earth is His footstool. No one can build a house which can contain Jehovah. Notice that there is no mention here of people on other planets. The heavens belong to Jehovah. Men on earth are His primary interest and concern.

 

God is complaining that He does not want a temple built for Him. Which temple is He talking about?

 

The first and second temples (Solomon and Zerubbabel) were commanded to be built by Jehovah. There will also be a Millennial Temple which will be rebuilt by the Messiah Himself. Therefore, He cannot be referring to any of these three temples.

 

The temple in view here is the temple which will be build either right before or during the Great Tribulation. This temple is not needed, because the Lord Jesus Christ was “the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.” He was the final sacrifice. No other sacrifices are needed. No more temple is needed. The Jews of the Great Tribulation need to forget about the temple sacrifices and believe in the Final Sacrifice, which is the Messiah.

 

66:2 My hand made them; that is how they came to be,” says the Lord. I show special favor to the humble and contrite, who respect what I have to say.

 

Jehovah made the heavens and the earth. Jehovah will show special favor to those who are humble. He will show special favor to those who respect what He has to say through the written Word of God. Evolutionists, atheists, and agnostics are arrogant Christ-rejecters who do not respect what God says through His written word. They even elevate their own human opinions above the written Word of God. The humble are those who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah, just as what was confirmed in the Old and New Testaments. The humble during the Great Tribulation will be the Messianic believers who come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; the one who offers incense also praises an idol. They have decided to behave this way; they enjoy these disgusting practices. 

 

Israel was making a sacrifice to God in the Temple, but then she would go out and murder another man. She would sacrifice a lamb, and then go break a dog’s neck and offer it on the altar as well (dogs were unclean, according to the Mosaic Law). She would offer sacrifices to Jehovah which were mixed with pig’s blood (another unclean animal under the Mosaic Law). She would offer incense to Jehovah, and then go praise a demonic idol. Israel loved living in this ungodly and compromising lifestyle.

 

During the Great Tribulation, the sacrifices of the unbelieving Jews will be like sacrificing an unclean pig upon the altar. The Jews do not need this temple or these sacrifices, because "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” has already arrived and atoned for their sins.

 

66:4 So I will choose severe punishment for them; I will bring on them what they dread, because I called, and no one responded, I spoke and they did not listen. They did evil before me; they chose to do what displeases me.”

 

Jehovah will give unbelieving Israel the type of punishment in which she deserves. She will receive the “severe” judgments of the Great Tribulation. The Antichrist will step into this unwanted temple and declare that he is God. The unbelieving Jews will accept this delusion.

 

66:5 Hear the word of the Lord, you who respect what he has to say! Your countrymen, who hate you and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name, say, “May the Lord be glorified, then we will witness your joy.” But they will be put to shame.

 

The apostate Jews will say “Praise the Lord” and keep on committing terrible sins against Jehovah. 

 

66:6 The sound of battle comes from the city; the sound comes from the temple! It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.

 

During the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will raise up a one-world army to commit genocide on the Jews. He will attack Jerusalem. The Jews will have to flee to Petra, or they will be killed. Jehovah will come to the rescue of the Jewish believing remnant.

 

It is important to note that Israel’s 1967 victory in the Six Day War gave them control of the temple grounds. All of the tribal identities of the 12 Jewish tribes have been lost, except for the Levites. Jews having names such as Levi, Levy, Levin, Levine, Leventhal, Levinson, Cohen, and other comparable names are members of the Tribe of Levi. The Levites are currently preparing the temple utensils and training the Levites for animal sacrifice. There are Jewish groups who are making preparations to rebuild the temple. Many local churches are asked to donate to these Jewish groups. This is not advisable, because it will be the temple of the Antichrist. He will use this temple so that he can declare himself as a god to the entire world. Instead, believers should support local churches which are teaching the entire counsel of the Word of God at the deepest level.

 

66:7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth! Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!

 

Israel goes into labor during the Great Tribulation. She will be given a rebirth. She will give birth to the Millennial Kingdom. She will give this birth before the first contraction of the birth pangs of labor.

 

66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen this? Can a country be brought forth in one day? Can a nation be born in a single moment? Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!

 

Israel will be regenerated as a nation of believers on the last day of the Great Tribulation.

 

66:9 “Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord. “Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?” asks your God.

 

Jehovah will deliver the baby Himself. The baby is the regenerated Israel who will enter into the Millennial Kingdom. This birth will cause the national regeneration of Israel.

 

66:10 Be happy for Jerusalem and rejoice with her, all you who love her! Share in her great joy, all you who have mourned over her!

 

The people in Israel will delight in the Millennial Jerusalem. All who love Israel will also rejoice. The angels, saints, and Sheep Gentiles all love Israel.

 

66:11 For you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts.

 

All of the believing Jews and Gentiles will be nursed and fed from the Millennial Jerusalem. The Messiah Himself will feed the Jews and Gentiles by giving out instruction from this city.

 

66:12 For this is what the Lord says: “Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river, the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. You will nurse from her breast and be carried at her side; you will play on her knees.

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, the wealth of the Gentile nations will flow into Jerusalem.

 

66:13 As a mother consoles a child, so I will console you, and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, God will care for Jerusalem as a mother cares for her child.

 

66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, and you will be revived. The Lord will reveal his power to his servants and his anger to his enemies.

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, the Jewish remnant will be happy. Jehovah will reveal His power to His servants and His wrath to His enemies.

 

66:15 For look, the Lord comes with fire, his chariots come like a windstorm, to reveal his raging anger, his battle cry, and his flaming arrows.

 

When the Messianic King returns to earth, He will swoop down on His enemies like fire.

 

66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity with fire and his sword; the Lord will kill many.

 

When the Messianic King returns to the earth, He will judge all of the Jews and the Gentiles. He will kill all of the Christ-rejecters and purge them out of the world so that they cannot enter into the Millennial Kingdom.

 

66:17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice—they will all be destroyed together,” says the Lord.

 

Potions, orchard worship, eating the flesh of unclean pigs, and mice were all occult rituals of the ancient world. All idolatry will be removed. Those who are involved in the occult will not enter into the Millennial Kingdom, because Jehovah will kill them and send them to hell to await the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; they will come and witness my splendor.

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the Gentiles will not come to Israel. 

 

66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them and then send some of those who remain to the nations—to Tarshish, Pul, Lud (known for its archers), Tubal, Javan, and to the distant coastlands that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.

 

The Messianic believers will be sent to witness to the Gentiles in Tarshish (Spain, Tyre, England, north coast of Africa, and/or the east coast of Africa by the Red Sea), Pul (Somalia land), Lud (Lydians in western Asia Minor), Tubal (Russia), Javan (Greece), and other distant islands and continents. At the end of the Great Tribulation, many of thee Gentiles will possess a limited knowledge of God. These Messianic Jews will witness to these Gentiles.

 

66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers.

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, Gentiles from all over the world will travel to Jerusalem to worship Jehovah at the Millennial Temple. The Tribulation Temple will be destroyed during the 75 days between the Great Tribulation and Millennial Kingdom (Daniel 12). The sheep Gentiles will personally transport the Jews back into the land of Israel.

 

66:21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

 

During the Mosaic Law, only Jews from the tribe of Levi could become priests. During the Millennial Kingdom, some of the Gentiles will serve as Millennial priests.

 

66:22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain.

 

The believing Jews will live in the new heavens and new earth (Millennial Kingdom) for 1,000 literal years (Revelation 20). 

 

66:23 From one month to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people will come to worship me,” says the Lord.

  

During the Millennial Kingdom, the Sabbath will be reestablished. All Jews and Gentiles will worship Jehovah on the Sabbath.

 

66:24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, and the fire that consumes them will not die out. All people will find the sight abhorrent.”

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, those who do not serve Jehovah will burn in the Lake of Fire forever. This verse hints that the redeemed will somehow be able to view the sufferings of the lost in hell. This may be only a one-time viewing, for soon “the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17). This location could be Babylon, Edom, or both. During the Millennial Kingdom, Babylon and Edom will become burning wastelands The Book of Isaiah closes with a third warning that there is no peace for the wicked. The wicked will spend their eternity burning in the Lake of Fire.