One of the problems is knowing where to stop, isn't it? If you do any public speaking, particularly
! a problem for preachers. Knowing where to stop. I was told once by another preacher that
! my preaching was like a plane circling the airport. That you kept thinking it was going
to land, but no, you went round for another lap. Which, I took it. Knowing where to stop.
It's difficult, isn't it? And I think you get to Isaiah 66, and you think, well, you get
to the end of Isaiah 65, and you think, this is a great place to stop. And then, Isaiah
66 is a puzzling chapter. I remember last week, this magnificent vision of a new heavens and
a new earth. It's described, isn't it? It's one of the mountain peaks of Isaiah, certainly
one of the mountain peaks of the Old Testament. The peaceable kingdom, it's a great place to
end. The wolf and the lamb lying down together. Grazing together. It's a great way to finish.
And then Isaiah goes and adds another chapter. It's a long book, isn't it? 65 chapters. It's
a long book. Now, we know, don't we, that Isaiah wrote under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit. It's not a mistake that Isaiah 66 is there. It's not him struggling as an aeroplane,
going around the airport for one more lap, struggling whether to land. Isaiah is not a rambler.
But rather, what he does in this chapter is he pulls together a number of strands. And
he presents to his listeners, for one last time, the choice that lies before you. The
book of Isaiah is a tale of two cities. The book begins in the earthly city of Jerusalem.
And God laments, he says, Israel, you become like a prostitute. He says, your city, the city
of Jerusalem is a city full of injustice and unrighteousness. But the book ends in another
city. In the new Jerusalem. In the city that Isaiah calls the new heavens and the new earth.
The perfect world. It ends with things as they're meant to be. And Isaiah is this kind of covenant
enforcement officer. He is God's representative. He is God's lawyer who presents not only the case for the
prosecution, but he also shows the rebellious and the accused. He shows you the way to the new heavens
and the new earth. He shows you the way to freedom. And the question Isaiah is asked all the way through
is how do we get from chapter 1 to chapter 66? How do we get from
the city of Jerusalem to the new Jerusalem?
How will the faithless city
become the faithful city?
And so Isaiah presents his closing arguments, as it were, and he turns
from the question of how
to the question who.
Who will be there?
Who will get to inhabit the new city?
Who will inhabit the new heavens and the new earth?
Or to put it another way, do you want to experience
for eternity perfection and paradise?
In the presence of God.
And if you do want that, what should it mean for the now, in the present, what should your
life look like?
And Isaiah gives us three answers to the question.
He gives us three characteristics of people
who will live in the new heavens and the new earth.
Let's jump right in.
The first characteristic of people who will dwell in the new heavens and the new earth
is that they tremble at God's word.
Look at verse 1.
Thus says the Lord,
Heaven is my throne
and the earth is my footstool.
What or where
is the house that you would build for me?
And what or where
is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made.
So all these things came to me, declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look.
He was humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
So God begins, doesn't he, with a very simple
and profound statement.
He points to his sheer
greatness and his immensity.
And he says,
The earth is
my footstool.
The earth on which you dwell.
It's where I rest my feet.
That's how massive I am.
But in all his greatness,
do you remember what God had promised his people?
God had promised to his people
that he would dwell,
the great majestic creator of the heavens and the earth,
he would dwell in the temple in Jerusalem.
All the way back in 1 Kings chapter 8,
he promises to the King Solomon,
I will dwell in the temple.
And so God here isn't scorning
that the powerful and transcendent God
that he is would dwell
in a human earthly edifice.
What he does here,
what he is really doing,
is he is mocking the idea
that you and I can build structures
that could somehow contain God
and could impress God.
That the people of Israel
could have a temple of the Lord
that they could somehow
put God in their favour.
So translating verse 1
is quite difficult.
Most of the translations in verse 1
with these words,
it's simply where?
Where is the house
that you would build for me?
But the sense,
if you were to put it in colloquial English,
is wherever.
Wherever is this place.
But God adds really a sense of irony
as he so often does in Isaiah
to the question.
It's as if God is saying in verse 1,
to be honest with you,
I'm having trouble locating your temple.
I'm finding it a little hard to find.
Can you tell me where it is?
Can you give me directions?
Can you give me the postcodes?
And I think that's quite humbling
for you and I.
That as humans,
we build, don't we,
these impressive edifices for God.
Churches and cathedrals for God.
And God professes them hard to find.
Westminster Abbey.
I can't quite see it.
St Paul's Cathedral.
Well, where is it?
I.P.C.
Ealing's glorious new building.
No, sorry, you're going to have to give me
the directions again, God says.
It's not that God doesn't know where it is.
Of course he does.
That's not the point.
It's not that he despises buildings.
Like many evangelicals do.
He mustn't do that.
It's not that he rejects the motives
of the building's construction.
Rather he's saying,
your buildings
are not where my eyes
easily and readily focus.
God does not repudiate
houses of worship.
But God does say,
your buildings are not the sharpest focus
in my field of vision.
That's not where he holds in on.
That's not where God looks this morning.
Where does God look?
Can you see?
Verse 2.
He looks at those.
These are the ones
that I look on with favour.
This is the one to whom I will look.
Those who are humble
and contrite in spirit
and tremble at my Lord.
The Lord's priority is very clear.
It is not the building we construct.
It is not the building
that we seek to improve.
In which we gather.
No, it is ultimately
the man or the woman
or the boy or the girl
who is humble
and contrite in spirit
and trembles at his word.
There is one.
There is one
in the midst of all creation.
In the midst of the sun
and the stars
and all the feasts
and all the parties
and all the feats
of engineering
and all the architecture.
There is one
that secures the gaze
of the great creator
and it is the individual
who is humble.
The people who are humble.
And it's contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
The word contrite
is translated in other places
as lame.
Usually it's about
physical lameness.
But here
and only here
in the Old Testament
it has this sense
of inability spiritually.
It's not just
a sense of our sin
but a sense
of the damage
that sin has done
to you.
That you and I
are helpless
in pleasing God.
Have you come to that point?
That you are
spiritually lame.
The word humble
is a word we use
more often
than the word contrite.
But we're still confused
I think
what it means.
To paraphrase C.S. Lewis
it's not thinking
less of yourself.
Of course it's not.
But it's thinking
of yourself less.
And that's an important
distinction.
And the Bible
directs us
along the path
of humility
by instructing
instructing you
to think of yourself
less
and think of God
more.
So how do you know
if you're living
a life of humility?
How do you know
if you're living
a life of contrition
and spirit
as a citizen
of the new heavens
and the new earth?
And Isaiah
gives us one
clear indication
and it is this
that you tremble
at his word.
And Isaiah
sees that characteristic
as one that sets
true followers
of God off
from those
who are not
actually following.
they have the
appearance of
following
but they're not.
And so in
verses 3 to 4
he describes
those who go
through the motions
of religious
activity.
He says
they turn up
at church.
They make
great show.
They actually
make great
sacrifices.
They do other
things but they
don't tremble
at God's word.
They have
vibrant worship.
Loud worship.
Noisy,
fervent worship
but they don't
tremble at God's word.
And God says
actually you might
look really
super spiritual
this morning
but to me
they are sinful.
Your worship
is meaningless.
It is
unacceptable.
It is apostate.
I have to tell you
that this verse
about trembling
at God's word
has really stuck
in my craw
this week.
And it's a huge
challenge.
Two weeks ago
I was in Poland
I wanted to go
to see the
Polish National
Cathedral that's
just built.
We went in
and they had
a celebration
of the mass.
And I sat
at the back
while I stood
at the back
and watched.
I don't know
whether you've
done that.
It's quite a
heartbreaking thing
to watch really.
But within me
there was
a smug superiority
as the man
rattled through
and he doesn't
believe a word
of this.
These people
don't know
what they're
doing.
When you come
to Isaiah
66 and
verse 2
I think
if you are
spiritually
haughty
or pride
as I am
proud as I
am it cuts
the legs
from under you.
Because God
says here are
the ones that
I delight to
look upon
it is those
who tremble
at my word.
And the
scripture is
read.
Do you have
that sense
of holy
reverence?
When you
get your
Bible open
at home
to read
with your
family
to read
it yourself
that sensitive
reverence
that we
come to
the Lord
God
to hear
him speak
to obey
whatever he
says.
And we
tremble at
God's word
because it
is God's
word.
God's
word.
It is the
word of the
sovereign.
The word of
the almighty
God of the
universe.
It is the
word of the
God who
has revealed
himself.
The God
who has
revealed himself
through Isaiah
as the
only God.
The God
who will
abide no
rivals.
The God
who scorns
our worship
of idols.
And the
only God
who will
forgive our
sin.
The only
God who
has sent a
rescuer for
you and
me in
his
suffering
servant.
The only
God who
renews the
strength of
those who
wait for
him.
Those Isaiah
said who
are the
citizens of
the heaven
and the
new earth
whose future
is guaranteed
are those
who tremble
at God's
word.
And that
might be
very difficult
for you to
get your
head around
because you
say I
don't want
to tremble
before God.
Isn't
God the
God of
love?
Isn't
God the
God of
compassion?
The God
of comfort?
Why do
you
tremble
before
him?
Why would
we have
such an
attitude of
fear?
Let me
give you
an
illustration.
Imagine
you are
exploring
an unknown
glacier on
the north
of Greenland.
I know it's
one of those
ridiculous
illustrations.
But let's
say you're
exploring a
glacier in
the north of
Greenland in
the dead of
winter just
as you reach
the sheer
cliff with
a spectacular
view of miles
and miles
of jagged
ice snow
mountains.
And there
is a terrible
storm arises.
And the
wind is so
strong that
you are
absolutely
scared stiff
that you're
going to be
blown off.
You and
your party
right over
the cliff.
But in
the midst
you discover
one of the
party discovers
there is a
cleft in the
ice where you
can hide and
so you go in
there.
And you
feel secure.
And the
mighty power of
the storm
it rages on
but you
watch it
with a
kind of
trembling.
With a
kind of
trembling
pleasure.
It surges
across the
glacier.
Now the
question is
this.
What's
changed in
your experience
of the
storm?
Initially
you had this
fear that
this terrible
storm could
literally claim
your life.
But then
you found a
refuge.
And so you
gained the
hope that you
would be safe
but not
everything in
the feeling of
fear has
vanished.
does it?
Only the
life-threatening
part has
vanished.
Because there
remains,
doesn't there,
a trembling
awe and
wonder and
fear.
The feeling
that you
would never
want to
tangle with
such a
storm or
be the
adversary of
such a
power.
And so it
is with our
attitude towards
God.
Trusting in
God and
his promises
turns terror
into a
holy and
hopeful and
dare I say
happy
trembling.
Into a
peaceful
trembling.
Into a
trustful
trembling.
God and
Mr.
Beaver,
isn't it,
in the
Lion,
the
Witch and
the
Wardrobe.
You
remember the
scene?
Beaver
describes
Aslan's
might and
majesty.
Aslan,
the
lion,
God as
it were.
And as
he finishes,
Lucy says,
is he
safe?
Mr.
Beaver says,
safe?
Who said
anything about
safe?
Of course he
isn't safe.
But he is
good.
He's a
king, I
tell you.
And you
see, those
who are
citizens of
the new
heavens and
the new
earth are
humble and
contrite.
And they
demonstrate it
by trembling
at God's
word.
Because it
is the
word of
God.
That brings
us to the
second characteristic
of people who
live in the
new heavens and
the new
earth.
And that is
that they are
citizens through
a new birth.
Look at
verses 6
to 9.
The sound of
an uproar from
the city,
the sound from
the temple,
the sound of
the Lord,
rendering
recompense to
his enemies.
Before she
was in
labor, she
gave birth.
Before her
pain came upon
her, she
delivered a
son.
Who has
heard such
a thing?
Who has
seen such
things?
Shall a
land be
born in
one day?
Shall a
nation be
brought forth
in one
moment?
For as
soon as
Zion was
in labor,
she brought
forth her
children.
Shall I
bring to
the point
of birth and
not cause
to bring
forth,
says the
Lord?
Shall I
who caused
to bring
forth shut
the womb,
says your
God?
So it's
not an
easy passage,
but it
seems Isaiah
is prophesying
of the
destruction of
Jerusalem,
that God
will judge
those who
have turned
their backs
on him.
Destruction
that will
come at the
hands of
the Babylonians.
In 587
BC,
587 BC,
at which time
the temple
would be
destroyed.
If you
read on in
the New
Testament,
you come
to the
point where
the temple
is rebuilt.
It's rebuilt
after the
return of
the exiles,
in the time
of Ezra
and Nehemiah.
But the
temple is a
shadow of
the first
one.
The old
people,
they cry
because the
second temple
is not a
patch on
the first
one.
And that
temple would
be destroyed,
wouldn't it,
in AD
70.
AD 70,
just a few
years after
Jesus'
death and
resurrection.
So there
are many
Christians who
read this
section of
Isaiah
differently.
But my
sense is
Isaiah is
looking forward
to that
later destruction
of the
temple,
the one in
AD 70.
And he
says something
miraculous is
going to
happen before
that destruction.
That before
Israel goes
into labour,
she will give
birth.
Before the
pains come upon
her, she
will deliver a
son.
Who's
heard of
such a
thing?
Who's
ever seen
such a
thing?
And the
answer is
no one.
And in
Isaiah at
the same
time,
Isaiah is
already told
us of
this great
event.
Earlier in
his book,
he's prophesied
to the
miraculous
birth of
a son sometime
in the
future.
So do you
remember Isaiah
chapter 7?
Words that
we're so
familiar with
at Christmas,
isn't it?
She will give
birth, she
will give you
a sign the
virgin will
conceive and
give birth to
a son and you
will call his
name Emmanuel.
And Isaiah is
covered a lot of
ground from
chapter 7.
And in
hindsight, we
know a lot
more, even
though, even
through the
book of
Isaiah as
to who this
son will
be, this
Emmanuel.
So just a
couple of
chapters later,
chapter 9,
the son is the
one who will
be given.
The son is the
one who is
born and will
be called
wonderful
counsellor,
mighty God,
everlasting
father, prince
of peace, and
upon his
shoulders, the
increase of his
government will be
no end.
Because this
Emmanuel, this
son, will be
the king.
And as we read
through the book
of Isaiah, we
find that the
king will come
as a servant.
And he will be
a servant who
will suffer and
will die in our
place and he
will be pierced
for our
transgressions and
crushed for our
iniquities and by
his wounds we
will be healed.
And when you
realise that our
citizenship is in
the new heavens and
the new earth, it
is completely and
entirely and
totally dependent on
this son whom God
will send.
This son who was
miraculously born
will come as the
servant king.
But Isaiah says
that is not all.
He says from his
birth will come your
rebirth.
Zion gives birth not
only to a son but
she gives birth,
verse 8, to her
children.
So that from the
birth of this one
son comes
instantaneously a
country, a
people, a
nation.
That's exactly what
you discover when
you come to the
New Testament.
The birth of a
son gives birth to
a movement.
A movement that
cannot be contained
within ethnical,
political or
territorial boundaries.
It's a movement
that creates a
people without
borders that
encompasses every
tribe and tongue
nation.
It's the church
of Jesus Christ.
It's the people of
the new creation.
It's the citizens of
the new heavens and
the new earth.
And so you see this
citizenship is not
based on where you
were born, is it?
It's not based on
your postcode.
And it's not based on
your family heritage.
It's not based on the
amount of income that
you report on your
tax return.
Our citizenship of
the new heavens and
the new earth comes
through a rebirth.
Because without being
born again, Jesus
says, you cannot see
the kingdom of
heaven.
The words of the
apostle Peter, 1
Peter 3 and 4 says,
praise be to the
God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
In his great mercy,
he has given us new
birth, rebirth,
regeneration,
into a living hope
through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from
the dead, into an
inheritance that will
never spoil, never
perish, never spoil,
never fade.
You see, citizenship in
the new heavens and the
new earth depends
completely on being
reborn, receiving a new
birth that comes
through faith.
faith in the one who
was miraculously born,
but who died and
raised again and he
reigns forever.
Just briefly before we
look at the last
characteristic, can you
notice in verse 10 to
13, he moves,
doesn't he, from the
prenatal room to the
nursery.
And these are
remarkable verses.
It gives you and I an
astounding image of the
church as a mother who
nurses or feeds her
children.
And then it plays with
the image a little bit
and extends the image to
the comforting mother to
God himself.
God is portrayed as a
mother.
In verses 12 and 13.
But thus says the Lord,
behold, I extend peace to
her like a river and the
glory of the nations like
an overflowing stream.
And you shall nurse, you
shall be carried upon her
hip and bounced upon her
knees.
And as one whom his
mother comforts, so I
will comfort you.
You shall be comforted in
Jerusalem.
Do you remember those
days back when, when you
were little, when you were
weak?
For some of us that's
difficult.
We can barely remember what
we had for breakfast, but
try and remember what it was
like when we were little.
There are certain
particular scenes out there
that are etched into our
memories of our mothers.
From our earliest
memories.
Sitting on our mothers'
knees, being bounced up
and down, up and down,
up and down.
Giggling and smiling.
Mothers singing nursery rhymes
and lullabies, kissing us in
delight, hugging and
caressing you when there
were tears.
I am in awe of mothers.
The patience of the mothers
of this church with their
little children.
It's, it's an amazing thing.
The softness and the beauty.
It comes more innately.
Not so in awe of the dads.
I don't find that that
patience comes as
naturally.
I might be wrong.
I might be terribly
successful in this.
Who cares?
But God says that is who I
am.
That is who I am.
That is who I am to my
children.
He is like a gentle
mother.
Mouncing.
His children on their
knees.
God is not an ogre.
God is not standing over
his people this morning
with a stick ready to
beat you.
This is a God who wants
to be like a mother to
you.
It's an astounding
picture.
Lastly, the third
characteristic of the new
heavens and the new
earth is that they are
sent into the world to
proclaim God's glory.
They are sent into the
world to proclaim God's
glory.
In verses 18 to 20.
For I know their works
and their thoughts.
And the time is coming to
gather all nations and
tongues.
And they will come and see
my glory.
Do you see the direction
they are coming?
Verse 19.
And I will set aside among
them and from them I will
send.
That is going.
I will send survivors to
the nations.
Tarshish,
Paul and Lod.
Who draw the bow to
Tubal and Jabin to the
coastlands far away.
And have not heard my
fame or seen my glory.
And they shall declare my
glory.
And they shall bring
forth all your brothers
and sisters from all the
nations as an offering
to the Lord on horses
and in chariots and in
litters and on mules and
on dromedaries.
To my holy mountain
Jerusalem says the Lord.
God's plan throughout the
scripture has always been
to go global.
It has always been to go
global.
You see that with Adam.
You see that with Noah.
You see that with Abraham.
To go global with this gift
of grace and salvation.
He is gathering his
rescuing activity.
Here it is.
He's gathering his
rescuing activity was a
season restricted to those
who'd been dispersed into
exile from Israel.
But the bigger plan was
always, always to extend
that rescue to all people.
John Stott points to three
things here that Isaiah
says about the global
mission program of God.
First of all he tells us
the occasion of this
global mission program.
Verse 18 God is saying
mission activity will be
precipitated.
The thing that will come
before this great mission
activity is the rejection
of Israel.
By God's word.
Now the ESV, the ESV, I
love the ESV.
I wouldn't want to go back
to the NIV but sometimes
it is so literal it's
incomprehensible.
And so look at, look at
your, the service sheet on
page seven.
The NIV is a little bit
better here.
And more helpful.
And so verse 18 says
for I know their works and
their thoughts and the time
is coming to gather all
nations and tongues and
they shall come and see my
glory.
The they there is referring
to Israel because of what
they done or not done.
Because of their works.
Because I know their
works and their thoughts.
Because of what they done
or not done.
God says I'm going to come
and gather the people of
all nations.
Now because of Israel's
rejection we see this
pattern again and again in
the New Testament.
Israel, the Jews, they
reject the Lord Jesus.
And what happens is the
gospel goes out to the
nations.
So four times the Jews
reject the preaching of the
word in Acts by Paul and
he turns and evangelizes the
Gentiles.
It happens in Pisidian,
Antioch, in Corinth, in
Ephesus and then in Rome.
Now of course there's a
remnant of Jews who believe,
praise God.
Many Jews did put their
trust and faith in the
Messiah but there were many
more who rejected God's
word.
And that led to the spread of
the message to the Gentiles
to us.
So the occasion was the
rejection of God's word by
Israel.
Secondly, the scope of God's
mission program.
Can you see that?
I will gather people from all
nations and tongues.
And Isaiah signals out five
places that represent the
four points in the compass.
You have Tarshish which is a
city in Spain at the western
end of the empire.
You have Pul and Lud which are
in the southern part.
You have Tubal which is in
the far north.
And you have Java and
Greece which is in the
eastern end of the empire.
And then the distant lands
beyond that.
And these are the places
aren't they?
Isaiah looks around.
He's at the Atlas.
He looks around the world
at the furthest outposts.
And he says,
this proclamation of God's
glory will grow up to them.
But this mission was to go
from Cameroon to Kazakhstan.
From Leeds to Liberia.
From Ealing to Estonia.
To go all over the world.
But this movement was to have
no ethnic or geographical
or national boundaries.
And that squares exactly
with what happened in the
book of Acts.
Doesn't it?
Acts 1 verse 8.
He says to the apostles,
the disciples,
you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit comes upon
you.
And you will be my witnesses
where?
Jerusalem.
And Judea.
And Samaria.
And the ends of the earth.
And so at the end of the
book of Acts,
it can be said that the
gospels go to the end of
the world.
Just as Isaiah prophesied.
And then thirdly,
there's the goal of mission.
And it's nothing short of
the glory of God.
That is that God would be
known and honoured for who
he is.
And that shouldn't surprise us.
All of life is intended to
be for the glory of God.
Why were you created?
What is your chief end?
The chief end of man is to
glorify God and enjoy him
forever.
What's particularly striking
in this passage is God is
sending out messages to the
nations to proclaim the glory
of God.
Through the rest of the Old
Testament, God promises the
nations will come to Zion.
There will be this pilgrimage
of the nations, like rivers
flowing towards Jerusalem.
It's only when you come to the
end of the New Testament.
To the New Testament, this
movement goes from the
nations to Jerusalem.
It's replaced by God sending
out from Jerusalem to the
nations.
But the one exception is in
the Old Testament, Isaiah 66,
19.
Where God says, I will send
out to proclaim my glory to
the nations.
And as the story of God's
people continues, we discover
that those who are brought in
are brought in to be sent
out again.
Those who are citizens of the
new heavens and the new
earth.
They are brought in and sent
out as missionaries to proclaim
the glory of God.
And that includes you and that
includes me.
That we are to live and to
proclaim the glory of God.
In your home.
In the way that you treat your
children.
In the way that you work.
In the way that you use your
leisure time.
In your school.
And in your social circle.
And in your neighbourhood.
So that those around you will
come and know how great God
is.
And you might say, that sounds
great.
How do I exactly proclaim the
glory of God?
Listen to these words from Paul
from 2 Corinthians 4.
For God who said, let light
shine out of darkness, made his
light shine in our hearts.
To give us the light of the
knowledge of God's glory
displayed in the face of
Christ.
The glory of God is most
clearly demonstrated and
proclaimed the person and work
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To proclaim the glory of God,
you need to love Jesus.
Live for Jesus.
And talk about Jesus.
It's really simple, isn't it?
I'm really hard.
And that's what we're talking
about.
That if we are citizens of the
new heavens and the new earth,
which is another way of saying,
are you a Christian?
You understand that it's part and
parcel of your life.
To live for, to love, and to
speak about Jesus.
So the book of Isaiah moves from
the earthly city of Jerusalem to
the new heavens and the new earth.
It's in some ways the summary of
the Bible, isn't it?
Genesis 1 begins in the
beginning, God created the
heavens and the earth.
And the Bible ends with God
created the new heavens and the
new earth.
And Isaiah encapsulates the
movement of the Bible.
For those who are citizens of
this new world, three
characteristics.
You tremble at his word.
You realize you can only be a
citizen through rebirth, through
being born again.
And thirdly, you understand that
you've been sent out with a
mandate, a commission to
proclaim God's glory.
The end.
It's not, is it?
Let's circle the airport one more
time.
Look at the last verse.
And they shall grow out and they
shall look on the dead bodies of
the men who've rebelled against
me for their worms shall not die,
their fire shall not be quenched,
and they shall be an abhorrence to
all flesh.
What a beautiful ending to the
book.
You know when Isaiah 66 is read in
the Jewish synagogue today, they read
verse 24, and then they go back and
read verse 23 again because they
cannot believe that it should end in
such a book, such a verse.
They don't want to finish it with
such a horrid ending.
But we have to figure out that Isaiah
knew what he's doing, that he
finishes this book in the way that he
intends to finish.
He wants you and I to sit bold
upright and to listen up.
Because what he does at the end of
verse 24 is he says, if you will not
tremble at God's word.
If you will not be born again, if you
will not proclaim the glory of God in
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ,
verse 24 awaits.
And you might be tempted to say, oh
that's so Old Testament isn't it?
We are New Testament people, in fact
let's go even better.
I'm a red letter Christian, I just
believe in the words that Jesus says,
you know the ones in the red words.
Jesus will rescue us out of this, right?
Jesus says in Mark 8, 12, the subjects of
the kingdom will be thrown into outer
darkness and in that place there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It's an indirect quote of Isaiah 66, 24.
There is no one other than Jesus who talks about
this outer darkness.
What is he talking about?
He's talking about Isaiah 66, 24.
Where Isaiah says, people who have heard me,
who have heard this prophecy,
and yet they don't tremble,
and they're not born again,
and they don't proclaim the glory of God,
they will go to this outer darkness.
And in Mark 9, 9, 47,
Jesus says, if your right hand causes you to sin,
tear it out, because it's better for you
to enter the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into hell
where the worm does not die.
Isaiah 66, 24.
Because this is real.
Now you could finish the servant series here
with a little light-hearted story
that breaks the tension.
But for me to do that would be
a great disservice to the book of Isaiah.
Because that is not how Isaiah
wants to finish his book.
He says, this is reality.
And if you rebel against the living God,
who is the loving God
who came to rescue you,
who is the living God,
who is the God
who sent his son in this world
to suffer in your place,
who is the living God
who wants to comfort you
like a mother,
if you refuse that,
the only thing left for you
is justice.
Let's pray.