Isaiah 66

Wesley: with terrible judgments, or with fire in a proper sense, understanding it of the fire with which enemies consume places brought under their power. Whirlwind—with a sudden sweeping judgment. Fury—with fervour; for fury properly taken is not in God. Rebukes—they had contemned the rebukes of the law; now God will rebuke them with fire and sword.

Judgment first, then any day he comes. Fury is fervour, not a passion he just acquired. Shared ground with Calvin: he comes in fire.

Calvin: that believers may not turn aside when the wicked laugh and grow insolent. He comforts the good that they are under God’s protection. He includes the last judgment along with temporal punishments that were forerunners of eternal destruction. This began in the Babylonian carrying away, then in vengeance on Gentile foes, and lastly he will come in fire at the last day. Metaphors help us comprehend what we otherwise could not; do not dispute the refined nature of that fire.

Temporal strokes and the last day in one coming. Same whirlwind chariots; hypocrites are especially in view.

Wesley: God at first pleads with sinners by words, but if he cannot so prevail, he will plead with them in a way by which he will overcome; by fire, pestilence and blood. All flesh—thus he threatens to do with all the wicked Jews. The slain—those whom God should cause to be slain.

God speaks his words first and then sends fire. They could have been prevailed with. Wicked Judah; all flesh next. Both sides agree: the slain of the LORD will be many.

Calvin: he confirms the former statement; this judgment will be dreadful. Fire and sword convey the same meaning. Many shall be the slain of Jehovah—a prodigious mass of corpses. Ungodliness reigned; believers were tempted by the prosperity of the wicked. The more ungodliness abounds, the more the wrath is kindled; multitude and conspiracy shall not hinder him.

Numbers do not restrain his hand. Same many slain; do not envy the prosperous wicked.

Wesley: gardens—in which they worshipped idols. In the midst—behind one of the trees, or one by one behind the trees. The abominations—all those beasts forbidden the Jews for meat. God will not only destroy gross idolaters, but all those who make no conscience of yielding obedience to the law of God in things that seemed to them of a minute nature.

Idol groves and unclean meat (65:3–4). Shared ground with Calvin: they end together.

Calvin: he describes the enemies whose anger will be kindled—false and degenerate Jews. First hypocrites who assumed disguises of holiness; then those who openly despised God. Behind one in the midst: some think a laver; others that every one chose a God and a tree. The statement is general: both open wickedness and covered.

Hypocrites and the openly profane in one end. Same pig’s flesh; pretended purity in the grove is still revolt.

Wesley: it shall come to pass that I will cast them off, and then I will gather all nations. My glory—my oracles, my ordinances, which hitherto have been locked up in the church of the Jews, and been their glory, shall be published to the Gentiles.

After casting off, the nations see what Judah locked up. He already knows works and thoughts. Both traditions see: they shall come and see my glory.

Calvin: he confirms that punishment shall be executed on all the ungodly; he sees and observes their works; one day none will be concealed. The time is come to assemble all nations, that he may cast off hypocrites and adopt a people from among the nations. The Jews despised other nations as unholy; he will adopt those nations. God is not confined to any people. They shall see my glory—the Gentiles shall behold the grace formerly the Jews’ special privilege.

Empty possession left for the nations (Rom 10:19). Same coming to see his glory; unbelief does not bind him to the old tenants.

Wesley: a sign—by this may be understood Christ (Luke 2:34), or the ministry of the word attended with miracles; these were set up among the Jews first, then among the Gentiles. Afar off—to all the quarters of the world. This was eminently made good after the destruction of Jerusalem, when the believers among the Jews, as well as the apostles, went about publishing the gospel to all people, which was declaring the Lord’s glory.

Christ and the preached word, survivors as missionaries after 70. Shared christology: they declare my glory among the nations.

Calvin: I will place in them a sign—God seals his own people that they may be safe, as at the departure from Egypt (Ex 12:13; Rev 7:3). None can escape except the elect on whom he has impressed his mark. From that reserved band some shall be his heralds to celebrate his name among the Gentiles. Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tubal, Javan, and the islands are far countries plunged in ignorance; the knowledge of God shall be spread throughout the whole world. Nations is emphatic: he was known to not more than one people, but now to all.

A sealed remnant is sent out as heralds. Same coastlands that had not heard; the doctrine of salvation spread by a few.

Wesley: your brethren—those who are the children of Abraham, not considered as the father of the Jewish nation only, but as the father of many nations, and as the father of the faithful, and so are your brethren, shall be brought out of all nations for an offering to the Lord. Holy mountain—they shall be brought into the church, which began at Jerusalem. They shall come with as much joy and sincerity as the godly Jews bringing offerings in clean vessels.

Abraham’s wider family, the church from all nations. Mountain first; gospel house next. Common confession: brothers from all nations as an offering.

Calvin: priests whom he appointed shall not labor in vain. Brethren—those who formerly were strangers; the new relation arises from faith. Foreign nations were ingrafted into Abraham’s family; not all flesh-descendants are children (Rom 9:7). The time he became father of many nations was when God adopted the Gentiles. Holy mountain is accommodation to that period; now the temple is everywhere (1 Tim 2:8). The apostles slew men by the gospel that they might be a living sacrifice (Rom 15:16). Horses and chariots: nothing shall hinder God from gathering his Church.

The nations bring living sacrifices to a worldwide house. Same brothers on every conveyance; the Lord has all means.

Wesley: God will find among the converted Gentiles those who though they are not of the tribe of Levi, yet shall do the true work of priests and Levites.

Gentile ministers doing Levi’s true work. Priesthood first; gospel royal priesthood next (1 Pet 2:9). Shared ground with Calvin: some from the nations taken for priests.

Calvin: the Gentiles shall not only be adopted but elevated to the highest honor. The priesthood under Christ is very different: under the Law one tribe; now all are admitted without distinction. He describes ministers and teachers chosen from the Gentiles—Luke, Timothy, and others—who offered spiritual sacrifices by the Gospel. Every person sacrifices when he devotes himself to God (Rom 12:1).

Gospel ministry and the whole consecrated people. Same taken from them; not a Levitical bloodline restored as a chart.

Wesley: the new heavens—the new state of the church to be raised up under the Messiah. Remain—as I intend that shall abide, so there shall be a daily succession of true believers for the upholding of it.

Messiah’s church, a succession of true believers. Then gospel; the same new heavens as 65:17. Shared christology: what he makes remains before him.

Calvin: the restoration of the Church shall last for ever, lest any fear a second ruin. Two benefits: restoration and eternity. New heavens look to the reign of Christ, by whom all things have been renewed (Heb 8:13). Your seed and name remain: as God will establish the world that it may never perish, so the succession of the Church shall be perpetual. This must be referred to the inward renewal of man, not absolutely only to the last judgment; we begin with the deliverance by which Christ regenerates his people (2 Cor 5:17).

“Remain”—Church perpetual under Christ’s reign, perfect at the last day. Same offspring and name; do not think he has changed his mind.

Wesley: in the gospel-church there shall be as constant and settled a course of worship (though of another nature) as ever was in the Jewish church. Christians are not bound to keep the Jewish sabbaths or new-moons. But New Testament worship is expressed by Old Testament phrases. The Jews were obliged to appear three times a year at Jerusalem; the gospel-church shall worship God from one sabbath to another.

All flesh, continual, gospel not old moons. Feasts as language; church as fulfillment. Both readings hold: all flesh will come to worship.

Calvin: he points out the difference between spiritual worship under Christ and carnal worship under the Law. Under Christ a constant solemnity; no stated days on which we must go to Jerusalem; our oblations are continued from day to day. Pure sacrifices daily (1 Pet 2:5), spiritual, that we may adore with a pure worship (John 4:24). Contrast between Sabbaths under the Law and the perpetual Sabbath we have (Heb 4:9).

Unceasing spiritual offering, not a travel feast. Same all flesh before him; the phrases are borrowed, the thing is new.

Wesley’s verse notes end at v. 23; the chapter heading names this verse the eternal punishment of the wicked. They go out, and look at rebels; worm and fire are not quenched; they are an abhorrence to all flesh.

Slain first (v. 16), then the last unquenched end of those who rebelled. The church that worships (v. 23) still sees that warning. Shared ground with Calvin: rebels do not outlast his judgment.

Calvin: we must not attempt subtle interpretations; he simply informs the adopted that they shall see around them the dreadful vengeance of God. Not that the slaughter is in the assembly of believers; he threatens the reprobate that the godly may keep themselves in the fear of God. Fire is metaphorical, as is the worm: the wicked shall have a bad conscience as an executioner to torment them without end, a torment greater than all others, and thus consumed they do not die. They will be loathsome to all mankind—those who despised his glory shall be loaded with every reproach.

Unending torment of rebels, figure for a reality that does not die. Same look on the dead; worship and warning stand together till the end.