Congratulations on making it to the end of Isaiah. 🎉 It has 66 chapters. There are 66 books in the Bible. Just as the final 2 chapters of the Bible describe the New Heaven and the New Earth, so do the last 2 chapters of Isaiah.

(Some have proposed that each chapter of Isaiah corresponds to the books of the Bible but that is an extreme stretch. It would be very difficult to argue that the chapter divisions and the arrangement of the books are inspired.)

Just like in Revelation, you can’t get to the New Heavens and Earth without first encountering Judgement. Let’s get into it.

GOD WANTS TO BE FOUND

Yahweh is the universal Champ of Hide & Go Seek. If He hides Himself, nobody will ever find Him. In this final revelation through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD wants to be found. He has come out of His hiding place and is waving His arms saying, “Here I Am!”

If you have walked with Jesus for several years, you have probably experienced a “desert season.” That’s what we call a period of life when you feel that God is distant and silent. Some people – because of past experiences – have a very hard time believing that God is interested in them. It may feel like you need to beg for His help or attention and you hear nothing. This is where the rubber of our faith meets the road of life. Do we trust the Word of God or not? God says He wants to be found.

“And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that was not called by my name.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Between these two texts, the LORD desires to be found by those who seek Him AND those who really aren’t.

God could not possibly pay more attention to each human than He already is. He could not possibly love you more than He already does. The fullness of His love was poured out on the cross of Jesus Christ. If you’re waiting for some sign that God loves you…

THE CROSS IS YOUR SIGN. ✝️

The people He is revealing Himself to are a messed up bunch. They are also the origin for one of the oldest insults in the English language.

Isaiah describes the idolatrous practices of the people. After eating a veritable witch’s brew of unclean food that was offered in pagan ritual sacrifice, they have the gall to say…

“‘Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Ever met someone who is “holier than thou?” Quite often they have detestable things hiding in their closets. Anyone who thinks he is a super-Christian and knows more than everyone else and doesn’t need accountability is probably not actually out of spiritual diapers yet. Part of Christian maturity is humility. And part of humility is realizing you aren’t holier than squat. God alone is holy. We only become holy when we are joined to Him and He shares His holiness with us.

Paul had to deal with a lot of immature saints. He also had to deal with holier-than-thou, self-appointed, church leaders. He wanted to make sure the Corinthians understood that real leaders don’t approve of themselves based on comparisons with other people.

“Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I had this text sternly (in love) quoted to me when, as a timid Bible College freshman, I was asked to lead worship for a church Bible study filled with very wise and experienced ministers.

“Oh but Brother Bill is a MUCH better musician than I am. I think he should lead.”

☝🏼“The Bible says that they who compare themselves among themselves are not wise.” (Said the woman who had read the KJV through every year since she was 10. She was at least 70.)

I played the keys and led some songs and learned a major lesson in – it’s not about you.

Back to Isaiah 65…

The LORD calls but gets no response from the filthy, Holier Than Thou club.

🤨 Cue Judgement Day, right?

Yes. With a caveat.

😟 With a cave what?

It’s cav-ee-ot. It means “a warning with specific conditions or stipulations.” The ones who forsake God and trust in other things will be destroyed, but the Lord’s servants who obey Him will be spared.

In the middle of this declaration to the wicked, we get this intriguing bit of text:

“You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord God will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name,”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Remember this from a couple chapters ago?

“The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭62‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The LORD is speaking to Zion here. And He gives 2 new names:

• Hephzibah (my delight is in her)
• Beulah (married)

The LORD LOVES to rename people. Think of Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Peter, Paul… Did you know that overcomers are going to get a new name in heaven?

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’” Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

And it won’t be just 1 new name, the child of God will be so united with the identity of Christ that we will have 3 additional names written upon us.

“The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

🤯 Wait! Jesus is gonna have a new name?!?!

That’s what it sounds like, doesn’t it? Or maybe all 3 share 1 new name.

😲 That. Is. WILD.

I know!! It’s worth giving the LORD full control of our lives and being all-in committed and loyal to Him so we get to experience all this cool stuff. I’m excited to know what Jesus’ new name will be!

Isaiah 65 ends with a description of what some have called “The Peaceable Kingdom.” He has already given a description of the Reign of the Branch (the Son of David) earlier in his ministry:

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In this second description in Isaiah 65, we get less about (former) predator and prey happily snuggling up together, and more about the restoration of what appears to be pre-flood lifespans.

“No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

My grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep at 100 years old. She was ready to go and happy to leave this world to be with the Lord. In the reign of Messiah, if someone dies at 100, that’s dying young. Verse 22 says that people will live as long as trees! 🌳 That suggests anywhere from a couple centuries to over a thousand years old.

I believe that when Christ returns there will be a few humans who survive all the destruction. I think they will make their way to Jerusalem which will be the new capital of planet earth; the only place where there is any kind of civilization. The resurrected (and rescued) saints will be in glorified bodies, (1 Cor. 15:50-52, 1 Thes. 4:13-18). I think that this passage in Isaiah is referring to non-glorified humans living for centuries under the reign of Christ.

This is just a tantalizing morsel. It’s not enough to build doctrinal castles upon, but it sure is compelling.

There are SO MANY amazing things in the future that we will get to see! I don’t know if you think about living forever in a paradise where you can pet lions and leopards, but I think we should think about it. We have so much to look forward to! When this world gets too crazy, just remember that it’s all going to change someday.

As we get into chapter 66 we find out that this paradise is prepared for the humble and repentant.

The Lord is disgusted by the offerings of the ones who aren’t truly devoted and obedient to God in private (66:3-4). And I doubt that has changed.

You cannot undo secret sin with public worship.

The way you undo secret sin is humble confession, repentance, and obedience.

The description of fiery judgment agrees 100% with all the other descriptions of “The Day of the Lord” and the destructions in Revelation. Because of texts like this in Isaiah (and elsewhere in the OT prophets), the people of Jesus’ day were kinda looking for fiery judgment and political overthrow of pagan Rome.

They were looking for the Lion and they got the Lamb.

Now we live in an environment where many Christians (and even people of other faiths) are looking for a Messiah who will bring peace.

They are looking for the Lamb, but they are going to get the Lion.

“For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭66‬:‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Yes, Jesus will establish His reign of peace. But the judgement comes first. Beware. The one who comes in peace without judgment is a phony. The biblical order of Christ is:

• Lamb (peace)
• Lion (judgment)
• Shepherd (peace)

The chapter ends with a message for the humble, repentant people- You’re gonna love what the LORD has prepared for you. 🤩🥰