Geneva Bible Notes: Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66:1 ^a My majestie is so great that it filleth bothe heauen & earth, & therefore cannot be included in a temple like an idole: condemning hereby their vaine confidence, which trusted in the Temple & sacrifices.

Isaiah 66:1 ^! God dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

Isaiah 66:2 ^b Seing that bothe the Temple & the things therein which the sacrifices were made & done by his appointment, he sheweth that he hathe no nede thereof, & that he can be without them {Psal. 50,10}.

Isaiah 66:2 ^c To him that is humble and pure in heart, which receiueth my doctrine with reuerence & feare.

Isaiah 66:3 ^! He despiseth sacrifices done without mercie and faith.

Isaiah 66:3 ^d Because the Jewes thoght them selues holy by offring of their sacrifices, and in the meane season had nether faith nor repentance, God sheweth that he doeth no lesse detest these ceremonies, then he doeth the sacrifices of the heathen who offred men, doggs & swine to their idoles which things were expressely forbidden in the Law.

Isaiah 66:4 ^e I wil discouer their wickednes & hypocrisie, wherewith thei thinke to blinde mine eies, to all the worlde.

Isaiah 66:5 ^f He incourageth the faithful by promising to destroy their enemies which pretended to be as brethren, but were hypocrites and hated them that feared God.

Isaiah 66:5 ^! God comforteth them that are troubled for his sake.

Isaiah 66:6 ^g The enemies shal shortely heare a more terrible voyce, euen fyre and slaughter, seing thei wolde not heare the gentle voyce of the Prophets which called them to repentance.

Isaiah 66:7 ^h Meaning, that the restauration of the Curch shulde be so sudden & contrarie to all mens opinion: as when a woman is deliuered before she loke for it, and that without peine in trauail.

Isaiah 66:8 ⁱ This shal passe the capacitie of man to se suche a multitude that shal come vp at once, meaning vnder the preaching of the Godpel, whereof thei that came vp out of Babylon, were a figure.

Isaiah 66:9 ^k Declaring hereby that as by his power, & prouidence woman trauaileth & is deliuered: so hathe he power to bring forth his Church at his time appointed.

Isaiah 66:11 ^l That ye may rejoyse for all the benefites that God bestoweth vpon his Church.

Isaiah 66:12 ^m I wil giue her felicitie, & prosperitie in great abundance.

Isaiah 66:12 ⁿ Read, {Chap. 60,16}.

Isaiah 66:12 ^o Ye shalbe cherished, as her derelie beloued children.

Isaiah 66:14 ^p Ye shal haue newe strength and newe beautie.

Isaiah 66:15 ^q This vegeance God began to execute at the destruction of Babylon, and hathe euer continued it against the enemies of his Church, & wil do til the last day, which shalbe the accomplishement thereof.

Isaiah 66:17 ^r Meaning, the hypocrites.

Isaiah 66:17 ^s Whereby are ment them that did maliciously transgresse the Law, by eating beasts forbidden, euen to the mouse which abhoreth nature.

Isaiah 66:18 ^t The Gentiles shalbe partakers of that glorie, which before I shewed to the Jewes.

Isaiah 66:19 ^u I wil marke these that I chuse that they perish not with the rest of the infideles: whereby he alludeth to the marking of the postes of his people, whome he preserued, {Exod. 12,7}.

Isaiah 66:19 ^! The vocation of the Gentiles.

Isaiah 66:19 ^x I wil scatter the rest of the Jewes, which escape destruction, into diuers nations.

Isaiah 66:19 ^y That is, Cilicia.

Isaiah 66:19 ^z Meaning, Africa.

Isaiah 66:19 ^a To wit, Lidia, of Asia minor.

Isaiah 66:19 ^b Signifying, the Parthians.

Isaiah 66:19 ^c Italie.

Isaiah 66:19 ^d Grecia.

Isaiah 66:19 ^e Meaning, the Apostles, disciples, & others which he did first chuse of the Jewes to preache vnto the Gentiles.

Isaiah 66:20 ^f That is, the Gentiles, which by faith shalbe made the children of Abraham as you are.

Isaiah 66:20 ^g Whereby he meaneth that no necessarie meanes shal want when God shal call the Gentiles to the knowledge of the Gospel.

Isaiah 66:21 ^h To wit, of the Gentiles, as he did Luke, Timothie & Tite first, & others after to preache his worde.

Isaiah 66:22 ⁱ Hereby he signifieth the kingdome of Christ wherein his Church shal be renued, & where as before there were appointed seasons to sacrifice: in this there shalbe on continual Sabbath so that all times and seasons shalbe mete.

Isaiah 66:23 ^! The perpetual Sabbath.

Isaiah 66:24 ^l Meaning, a continual torment of conscience, which shal euer gnawe them & neuer suffer them to be at rest, {Mark 9,44}.

Isaiah 66:24 ^m This is the juste recompence for the wicked, which conteming God and his worde, shalbe by Gods juste judgement abhorred of all his creatures.

Isaiah 66:24 ^! The punishment of the wicked is euerlasting.

Isaiah 66:24 ^k As he hathe declared the felicitie that shalbe within the Church for the comfort of the godlie, so doeth he shewe what horrible calamitie shal come to the wicked, that are out of the Church.