Before jumping in to the Scripture for today, read Isaiah 65 for a preface to what we’re looking at. Isaiah 65 and 66 are one thought. But today’s Scripture is Isaiah 66, “Thus says Yahweh: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says Yahweh. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.” Wow, he who lifts himself up should take a look at where he is, he lives on Yahweh’s footstool. Yahweh made the heavens, the earth, all that is in it, including mankind. The house we build for Yahweh should first and foremost be the temple of our body, our spiritual life. He created us to walk humbly before Him, in holiness with Him. I looked at these two words, poor and contrite, thinking that they dealt with humility of spirit before Yahweh, but that is not their main meaning. The word poor is the Hebrew word aniy, meaning depressed, in mind or circumstance. I know I am both. How about you? This poor person is afflicted and needy; does that not describe all of us? We all need Him and He takes note of us. The word contrite is the Hebrew word nakeh meaning smitten, maimed, or dejected mentally, physically, or emotionally. Are you feeling overwhelmed today with all the evil things that are taking place in our world? Take heart, Yahweh is watching over you, especially if you love and reverence His word, the Torah. Specifically, in this context, do you reverence the word of this matter about which He is speaking? Let’s find out.
3“He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, 4So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.” Religious sacrifices do not please Yahweh. You deceive yourself if you think he is impressed with your religiosity. Religious programs, events, meetings, ceremonies, etc. are an abomination to our heavenly Father. Listen to Samuel the prophet trying to teach truth to Saul, 1 Samuel 15:22, “So Samuel said: “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.” What did Yeshua say in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Notice Jesus did not exclude the 4th commandment from this command.
“5Hear the word of Yahweh, You who tremble at His word: “Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said, ‘Let Yahweh be glorified, That we may see your joy.’ But they shall be ashamed.” 6The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of Yahweh, Who fully repays His enemies! 7“Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. 8Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children. 9Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says Yahweh. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your Mighty One. 10“Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; 11That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.” 12For thus says Yahweh: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees. 13As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”” Yes, it’s true, Jerusalem represents the heavenly Kingdom of Yahweh. Yeshua is the first of the new men born into this spiritual kingdom. But this is also a parallel scripture speaking of natural Jerusalem. Our peace, our joy, our comfort, are tied to the heavenly Jerusalem, but also to the earthly Jerusalem. The children of promise find their consolation in the heavenly and the natural Jerusalem. Those who have had the privilege of walking the streets of Jerusalem can’t help but think of the day when we will walk the street of the New Jerusalem. Looking forward to the glory and joy of that day gives us hope to endure to the end of this age of man. The New Jerusalem is flooded with the peace of Yeshua, that’s why we pray for the peace of the natural Jerusalem, that the Kingdom of Heaven will come and manifest its majestic glory to natural Jerusalem. It’s coming, He’s coming. Today, Gentiles may flow to Jerusalem to trample its streets in profanity, but soon they will flow to Jerusalem to worship their Creator.
“14When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of Yahweh shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies. 15For behold, Yahweh will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16For by fire and by His sword Yahweh will judge all flesh; And the slain of Yahweh shall be many.” I keep telling you all that Yahweh is going to war. He is quite angry with the state of this planet. Humans who reject His rule over them, will be destroyed. Yahweh has stated it plainly in His word over and over again. Repent today; there may not be a tomorrow. Yahweh destroyed the earth in Noah’s day with a flood of water, this time it will be with fire, holy, righteous, indignant fire. Woe to him who stands in arrogant defiance against Yahweh. In Noah’s day, Yahweh promised not to destroy the earth again with water, but He never said He would NOT destroy the earth a second time. It’s a sure thing that this world deserves destruction for rejecting its Creator for 6,000 years. We rejected Yeshua when He came the first time; we executed Him in fact. I would not recommend rejecting Him when He returns the second time.
“17“Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,” says Yahweh. (see Isa 65:4 again) 18“For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to Yahweh out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says Yahweh, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh. 21And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says Yahweh.” Yeshua has been reaching Gentiles for 2,000 years, since the commissioning of Apostle Paul. Yeshua continues to call and send His people around the globe, and I don’t think He will ever stop doing that. Did you notice how upset Yahweh is at those who consume swine’s flesh? Do you know why? It is not because He hates pigs, but because according to His Torah (see Leviticus 11:7-8), swine’s flesh IS NOT FOOD. Many Christians like to boast that Yeshua made all foods clean for our use. Ok, let’s say that I agree with that, but Yeshua NEVER made NON-FOODS clean. That’s the difference. Peter understood his thrice-given vision in Acts 10 to mean that “. . . Yahweh has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Peter’s vision had NOTHING to do with food, let alone non-foods. All foods are clean to us, so eat with thanksgiving, as Paul taught us, but non-foods can never be made clean to eat. Yeshua can perform miracles, but He knows what’s good for us, so don’t keep tempting Him. Enough said.
“22“For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says Yahweh, “So shall your descendants and your name remain. 23And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says Yahweh. 24“And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”” Verse 22 reiterates 65:17, Yahweh is going to redo the universe at the end of the thousand-year reign of Yeshua. Revelation 21:1-4,” Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Yahweh, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of Yahweh is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. Yahweh Himself will be with them and be their Mighty One. 4And Yahweh will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Notice that the sign from 66:19 above that Yahweh will set among us is the Sabbath. The Sabbath was the first sign given to the first Adam, the day after he was created. Sabbath observance is an eternal ordinance of Yahweh. The Catholic Church tried to change it to Sunday, to appease their sun-god worshipers, but Yahweh has never rescinded the Sabbath Law, nor has He ever changed it to another day, nor will He ever change it to another day of the week. Period. Repent dear reader, repent and seek and worship your maker on His Sabbath. Sabbath observance will change your life, and may save your soul. It’s simply a rehearsal for eternal life with our Redeemer. The mark of the religious beast is Sunday worship. Just ask John. Revelation 16:2, “So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.” Rev. 19:20, “Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” The third angel said it best, Rev. 14:9-11, “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of Yahweh, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”” No excuses, just repent. The Great Day of Yahweh is upon us.
John 4:13a, 14, “Jesus answered and said to her, “ . . . whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.””