BOOK 23 OF 66 · MAJOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Isaiah 66

Isaiah book home•Chapter 66 of 66•24 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Isaiah 66 Overview

Isaiah closes by declaring that heaven is God’s throne and no temple can contain Him, favoring the humble who tremble at His word; Zion gives birth suddenly, the LORD comforts and judges, nations gather to see His glory, and all flesh worships while rebellion meets final disgrace.

IsaiahBook

66Chapter

24Verses

Major ProphetsDivision

Before you read Isaiah 66

Coming from

The LORD answers by contrasting rebellious people who provoke Him with servants who seek Him; He promises judgment and blessing, then describes new heavens and a new earth marked by joy, longevity, fruitful labor, answered prayer, and peace in creation.

In this chapter

Leads into

Jeremiah follows in canonical order, moving from Isaiah’s broad vision of judgment and restoration into the final decades of Judah, Babylonian conquest, exile, and the promised new covenant.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The final chapter gathers many themes from the whole book: true worship, humble remnant, Zion, nations, divine coming, judgment, worldwide worship, and the sobering fate of rebels.

The interpretive center of Isaiah 66 is the chapter’s own movement: god values humble responsiveness above impressive religious structures. Read its poetry, signs, historical references, and later biblical connections from that center rather than treating isolated phrases as detached slogans.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

God values humble responsiveness above impressive religious structures

The person He looks to is poor, contrite, and trembling at His word.

Zion’s restoration is sudden and God-produced

The birth imagery emphasizes that the promised people are brought forth by divine action.

Isaiah ends with both universal worship and irreversible judgment

All flesh comes to worship, yet the final image refuses to minimize the seriousness of rebellion.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Acts 7:48-50

Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1-2 to show that the Most High is not confined to temples made with hands.

Mark 9:48

Jesus uses Isaiah 66:24’s worm-and-fire language in warning about hell.

Revelation 21–22

The final Bible vision similarly joins new creation, nations, worship, divine presence, and exclusion of evil.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not conclude that temple worship itself was wrong.

The chapter condemns worship offered by people who choose their own ways and reject God’s word.

Do not soften the book’s closing judgment image into mere inconvenience.

Jesus Himself reuses its language in severe final-warning contexts.

Read Isaiah 66 watching for…

heaven as God’s throne

the contrite person who trembles at the word

Zion’s sudden birth

nations gathered to see God’s glory

worldwide worship and the final warning

Chapter outline3 sections

1-4The LORD cannot be contained by a house and looks to the humble who trembles at his word 5-14Zion brings forth suddenly, and those who love Jerusalem rejoice in her comfort 15-24The LORD comes with fire, gathers the nations, and all flesh comes to worship while rebels are judged

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

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.

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:

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.

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.

As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

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.

For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

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.

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.

And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.

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.

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

STUDY THIS VERSE

Isaiah 66:8

Back to verse ↑

Cross References

Cross-reference storage is active. This passage does not yet have curated references loaded.

Related TWBC Resources

The Scripture resource graph is active. Sermons, Bible Overviews, courses, questions, and studies can attach here without changing the Bible text.