Isaiah 65 Study Notes: Judgment, a Remnant, and a New Creation
The LORD, found by outsiders not seeking Him, rebukes a stubborn people who worship idols yet think themselves holy, promising to repay them while sparing a chosen remnant of His servants. He then announces a newly created heaven and earth, with long lives, joyful work, answered prayer, and peace among the animals.
General
What does 65:21-23 promise about the work of God's people?
Answer: They will live in the homes they build and eat what they plant
The LORD promises that His people will live in the houses they build and enjoy the fruit of the vineyards they plant; no longer will others take over their homes and harvests (65:21-22). Their lives will last as long as a tree, they will fully enjoy their work, they will not toil for nothing or raise children only to meet disaster, because the LORD has blessed them and their children (65:22-23). He will answer them before they even call (65:24). This reverses the covenant curse Moses warned of, in which a foreign people would consume the harvest of their land and all their hard work (Deuteronomy 28:33). Amos gave a similar promise of restoration (Amos 9:14), and Paul assures believers that work done for the Lord is never wasted (1 Corinthians 15:58). Jesus also said the Father knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8).
- Isaiah 65:21-24 (BSB)“They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit, nor plant for others to eat. For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD—they and their descendants with them. Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”The LORD promises His people will enjoy the fruit of their labor and that He will answer before they call.
- Deuteronomy 28:33 (BSB)“A people you do not know will eat the produce of your land and of all your toil. All your days you will be oppressed and crushed.”Moses warned that strangers would eat the produce of their land and toil, a covenant curse that 65:22 reverses.
- Amos 9:14 (BSB)“I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.”Amos promises restored people who rebuild cities and eat the fruit of their gardens.
- 1 Corinthians 15:58 (BSB)“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”Paul assures believers that their labor in the Lord is not in vain.
- Matthew 6:8 (BSB)“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”Jesus says the Father knows what we need before we ask, as God answers before His people call.
Theological
What blessing on labor does 65:21-23 promise God's people?
Answer: They will live in the homes they build and eat what they plant
The LORD promises that His people will dwell in the houses they build and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant, no longer laboring for others to enjoy (65:21-22). Their lives will last as long as a tree, they will neither toil for nothing nor raise children only to meet disaster, and the LORD will bless them and their offspring (65:22-23); He will answer before they have even called (65:24). The promise reverses the covenant curse of Deuteronomy 28:33, which threatened that strangers would consume the harvest of all their labor. Amos voices a parallel restoration promise (Amos 9:14), Paul assures believers that work done for the Lord is never wasted (1 Corinthians 15:58), and Jesus says the Father knows what His children need before they ask (Matthew 6:8).
- Isaiah 65:21-24 (BSB)“They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit, nor plant for others to eat. For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD—they and their descendants with them. Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”The LORD promises His people will enjoy the fruit of their labor and that He will answer before they call.
- Deuteronomy 28:33 (BSB)“A people you do not know will eat the produce of your land and of all your toil. All your days you will be oppressed and crushed.”Moses warned that strangers would eat the produce of their land and toil, a covenant curse that 65:22 reverses.
- Amos 9:14 (BSB)“I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.”Amos promises restored people who rebuild cities and eat the fruit of their gardens.
- 1 Corinthians 15:58 (BSB)“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”Paul assures believers that their labor in the Lord is not in vain.
- Matthew 6:8 (BSB)“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”Jesus says the Father knows what we need before we ask, as God answers before His people call.
General
In 65:8-10 the LORD speaks of new wine still inside a bunch of grapes. What does the picture show?
Answer: God will spare His servants rather than destroy them all
People say not to throw away a bunch of grapes when it still has good juice in it, and so the LORD will act for His servants and not destroy everyone (65:8). He will raise up heirs and offspring from Jacob and Judah, and those He has chosen will inherit His mountains (65:9). Even the plain of Sharon and Achor's valley will become peaceful pasture for the people who seek Him (65:10). This is the remnant, a faithful group within Israel that God preserves. Paul says that in his own day too God had kept a remnant whom He chose by grace (Romans 11:5) and that the chosen obtained what Israel sought (Romans 11:7). Achor, once the valley of Achan's judgment (Joshua 7:26), becomes a place of rest.
- Isaiah 65:8-10 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes, and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing,’ so I will act on behalf of My servants; I will not destroy them all. And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and heirs from Judah; My elect will possess My mountains, and My servants will dwell there. Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me.”The LORD promises to spare His servants and give His chosen ones an inheritance.
- Romans 11:5 (BSB)“In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”Paul says there is still a remnant chosen by grace, the same preserved group 65:8-9 describes.
- Romans 11:7 (BSB)“What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,”Paul says the elect obtained what Israel sought, matching 65:9's promise to God's chosen ones.
- Joshua 7:26 (BSB)“And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.”The Valley of Achor was named after Achan's judgment, which 65:10 turns into a place of rest.
Theological
What point does the image of the grape cluster carry in 65:8-10?
Answer: God will spare His servants rather than destroy them all
As a cluster with good juice in it is spared, so the LORD will act for His servants and not wipe out everyone (65:8). He will raise up descendants and heirs from Jacob and Judah, and His elect will inherit His mountains (65:9), with Sharon and Achor's valley turned into peaceful pasture for those who seek Him (65:10). This is the elect remnant, preserved by God's choice within the nation. Paul states the same principle for his own day: a remnant kept by electing grace (Romans 11:5), the elect obtaining what Israel sought (Romans 11:7). Achor, the valley named for Achan's judgment (Joshua 7:26), is reversed into a place of rest.
- Isaiah 65:8-10 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes, and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing,’ so I will act on behalf of My servants; I will not destroy them all. And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and heirs from Judah; My elect will possess My mountains, and My servants will dwell there. Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me.”The LORD promises to spare His servants and give His chosen ones an inheritance.
- Romans 11:5 (BSB)“In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”Paul says there is still a remnant chosen by grace, the same preserved group 65:8-9 describes.
- Romans 11:7 (BSB)“What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,”Paul says the elect obtained what Israel sought, matching 65:9's promise to God's chosen ones.
- Joshua 7:26 (BSB)“And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.”The Valley of Achor was named after Achan's judgment, which 65:10 turns into a place of rest.
General
According to 65:20, how will a person who dies at the age of one hundred be regarded?
Answer: He will be thought of as still a young man
The LORD says that in the coming age babies will no longer die after only a few days, and old people will live out their full span; someone who dies at one hundred will be counted as young, and one who falls short of that age will be thought of as under a curse (65:20). The verse pictures life so long and full that a century seems short. Some Christians read this as describing a future thousand-year reign of Christ (often called the millennium) in which death still occurs, while others read it as a poetic picture of the fullness of life in the new creation. Either way, it reverses the sorrow of early death, and Scripture's final picture is of a world where death is no more (Revelation 21:4). Even now, Jesus gives His sheep a life that will never perish (John 10:28).
- Isaiah 65:20 (BSB)“No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days, or an old man fail to live out his years. For the youth will die at a hundred years, and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.”The LORD pictures lives so long that a hundred-year-old is counted young.
- Revelation 21:4 (BSB)“‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.””John sees the end of death and mourning, the final reversal of the sorrow 65:20 addresses.
- John 10:28 (BSB)“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.”Jesus promises His sheep eternal life and says they will never perish.
Theological
How does 65:20 describe one who dies at the age of one hundred?
Answer: He will be thought of as still a young man
In the coming age infants will no longer die within days, nor will the old fail to complete their years; one who dies at one hundred will be reckoned young, and one who falls short of that age will be thought accursed (65:20). Some read the verse as describing a millennial age in which death still occurs, while others read it as a poetic picture of the fullness of life in the new creation. On either reading it reverses the grief of premature death, and Scripture's final vision is of a world in which death is no more (Revelation 21:4), while Christ already gives His people life that will never perish (John 10:28).
- Isaiah 65:20 (BSB)“No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days, or an old man fail to live out his years. For the youth will die at a hundred years, and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.”The LORD pictures lives so long that a hundred-year-old is counted young.
- Revelation 21:4 (BSB)“‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.””John sees the end of death and mourning, the final reversal of the sorrow 65:20 addresses.
- John 10:28 (BSB)“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.”Jesus promises His sheep eternal life and says they will never perish.
General
In 65:11-12 the LORD condemns those who lay out offerings to Fortune and Destiny. What reason does He give for their judgment?
Answer: They ignored God when He called and spoke to them
The LORD addresses people who abandon Him and forget His holy mountain, laying out food and mixed wine as offerings to gods named Fortune and Destiny (65:11). He says He will hand them over to the sword. The reason is plain: when He called they gave no answer, when He spoke they paid no attention, and they chose what did not please Him (65:12). They were fully responsible for their choices. Jeremiah brought the same charge, that God had spoken again and again and they refused to hear (Jeremiah 7:13). Wisdom in Proverbs warns those who refused her call and her outstretched hand (Proverbs 1:24-26), and Jesus told of guests who refused the king's invitation (Matthew 22:3).
- Isaiah 65:11-12 (BSB)“But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.””The LORD condemns those who honor Fortune and Destiny because they would not answer His call.
- Jeremiah 7:13 (BSB)“And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and because I have spoken to you again and again but you would not listen, and I have called to you but you would not answer,”God charges Judah with refusing to listen or answer when He spoke and called, the same reason given in 65:12.
- Proverbs 1:24-26 (BSB)“Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction, in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,”Wisdom warns of calamity for those who refused her call, the same pattern of refusal and judgment.
- Matthew 22:3 (BSB)“He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.”In Jesus' parable those invited refuse to come, another picture of refusing God's call.
Theological
What ground of judgment does the LORD give in 65:11-12 against those who honor Fortune and Destiny?
Answer: They ignored God when He called and spoke to them
The LORD addresses those who forsake Him and forget His holy mountain, laying out offerings of food and wine to Fortune and Destiny (65:11), and appoints them to the sword. The ground of judgment is explicit: He called and they did not answer, He spoke and they did not listen, and they chose what displeased Him (65:12). Their guilt is fully their own. Jeremiah levels the identical charge (Jeremiah 7:13), Wisdom in Proverbs announces judgment on those who refused her call (Proverbs 1:24-26), and Jesus' parable depicts invited guests refusing the king's summons (Matthew 22:3).
- Isaiah 65:11-12 (BSB)“But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.””The LORD condemns those who honor Fortune and Destiny because they would not answer His call.
- Jeremiah 7:13 (BSB)“And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and because I have spoken to you again and again but you would not listen, and I have called to you but you would not answer,”God charges Judah with refusing to listen or answer when He spoke and called, the same reason given in 65:12.
- Proverbs 1:24-26 (BSB)“Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction, in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,”Wisdom warns of calamity for those who refused her call, the same pattern of refusal and judgment.
- Matthew 22:3 (BSB)“He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.”In Jesus' parable those invited refuse to come, another picture of refusing God's call.
General
In Romans 10:20 Paul quotes 65:1. To whom does he apply it?
Answer: To people outside Israel, who found God without looking for Him
The LORD says He made Himself known to people who never asked about Him and was found by people who were not searching for Him, and that He called out to an entire nation that had never called on His name (65:1). Paul quotes this verse in Romans 10:20, with its two lines in the reverse order, and then turns to Israel with the next verse (Romans 10:21). In context Paul applies 65:1 to people outside Israel, the ones he has just described, quoting Moses, as a people that is no nation (Romans 10:19). He makes the same point in Romans 9:30: Gentiles who were not pursuing righteousness received it by faith. Salvation begins with God's grace, His undeserved kindness, reaching people who were not seeking Him.
- Isaiah 65:1 (BSB)““I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’”The LORD says He was found by people who had not been seeking Him.
- Romans 10:20-21 (BSB)“And Isaiah boldly says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.” But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.””Paul quotes 65:1 and then 65:2, introducing the second with the words about Israel.
- Romans 10:19 (BSB)“I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.””Just before, Paul cites Moses about a people who are not a nation, the group he has in view in 10:20.
- Romans 9:30 (BSB)“What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;”Paul says Gentiles who were not pursuing righteousness obtained it by faith, the same point he draws from 65:1.
Theological
How does Paul apply 65:1 in Romans 10:20?
Answer: To people outside Israel, who found God without looking for Him
In 65:1 the LORD declares that He disclosed Himself to people who never asked and let Himself be found by people who never sought Him, calling to an entire nation that had never invoked His name. Paul cites the verse in Romans 10:20, reversing its two lines, and then sets 65:2 against it with the words about Israel (Romans 10:21). By that contrast, and by the preceding quotation from Moses about a people that is no nation (Romans 10:19), Paul applies 65:1 to the Gentiles. Romans 9:30 states the same reality: Gentiles who were not chasing righteousness received it by faith. Grace takes the initiative; God lets Himself be found by people who were not seeking Him.
- Isaiah 65:1 (BSB)““I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’”The LORD says He was found by people who had not been seeking Him.
- Romans 10:20-21 (BSB)“And Isaiah boldly says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.” But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.””Paul quotes 65:1 and then 65:2, introducing the second with the words about Israel.
- Romans 10:19 (BSB)“I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.””Just before, Paul cites Moses about a people who are not a nation, the group he has in view in 10:20.
- Romans 9:30 (BSB)“What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;”Paul says Gentiles who were not pursuing righteousness obtained it by faith, the same point he draws from 65:1.
General
What picture does the LORD use in 65:2 to describe His dealings with His rebellious people?
Answer: Someone stretching out his hands all day to a stubborn people
The LORD pictures Himself reaching out His hands the whole day long to a stubborn people who go the wrong way and follow their own ideas (65:2). It is an image of patient, repeated invitation. Paul quotes this verse in Romans 10:21 and introduces it with the words about Israel, describing them as disobedient and stubborn. Jesus showed the same longing over Jerusalem, wanting to gather her children as a hen shelters her young, though they were unwilling (Matthew 23:37). Isaiah's book had opened with the same charge: God raised children who rebelled against Him (Isaiah 1:2).
- Isaiah 65:2 (BSB)“All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations,”The LORD describes holding out His hands all day to a stubborn people.
- Romans 10:20-21 (BSB)“And Isaiah boldly says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.” But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.””Paul applies the outstretched hands of 65:2 to Israel, after quoting 65:1.
- Matthew 23:37 (BSB)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!”Jesus longs to gather Jerusalem's children, but they are unwilling, the same patient appeal met by refusal.
- Isaiah 1:2 (BSB)“Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.”Isaiah's first oracle already charges Israel as children who rebelled against the God who raised them.
Theological
With what image does 65:2 portray God's patience toward His rebellious people?
Answer: Someone stretching out his hands all day to a stubborn people
In 65:2 the LORD portrays Himself with hands outstretched all day to a stubborn nation that goes a wrong road after its own devices, an image of patient, persistent appeal met by stubborn refusal. Paul cites the verse in Romans 10:21, applying it to Israel as disobedient and stubborn. Jesus voices the same lament over Jerusalem, whose children He longed to gather though they were unwilling (Matthew 23:37), and Isaiah's opening oracle had already indicted Israel as rebellious children (Isaiah 1:2). The people's guilt is their own; God's appeal was real and sustained.
- Isaiah 65:2 (BSB)“All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations,”The LORD describes holding out His hands all day to a stubborn people.
- Romans 10:20-21 (BSB)“And Isaiah boldly says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.” But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.””Paul applies the outstretched hands of 65:2 to Israel, after quoting 65:1.
- Matthew 23:37 (BSB)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!”Jesus longs to gather Jerusalem's children, but they are unwilling, the same patient appeal met by refusal.
- Isaiah 1:2 (BSB)“Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.”Isaiah's first oracle already charges Israel as children who rebelled against the God who raised them.
General
In 65:3-5 the LORD describes people who worship in forbidden ways. What do they say to others?
Answer: Stay away from me, because I am more holy than you are
The LORD describes a people who keep provoking Him openly: they offer sacrifices and incense at garden shrines and on brick altars, linger among tombs and in hidden places, and eat pork and other unclean food that His law forbade (65:3-4). Yet these same people tell others to keep their distance because they are holier (65:5). God says such people are like smoke in His nose and a fire burning the whole day, a constant offense to Him. Their false worship came with a proud sense of superiority, much like the Pharisee in Jesus' parable who thanked God he was not like other people (Luke 18:11-12). Jesus warned that what people prize can be detestable to God, who knows the heart (Luke 16:15).
- Isaiah 65:3-5 (BSB)“to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick, sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls. They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.”The LORD describes forbidden worship by people who still claim to be holier than others.
- Luke 18:11-12 (BSB)“The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’”The Pharisee in Jesus' parable boasts that he is not like other men, the same proud spirit as 65:5.
- Luke 16:15 (BSB)“So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.”Jesus says God knows the heart and finds detestable what people prize, as with these self-righteous worshipers.
Theological
What claim do the idolatrous worshipers of 65:3-5 make toward others?
Answer: Stay away from me, because I am more holy than you are
The LORD indicts a people who provoke Him to His face with forbidden rites: sacrifices and incense at garden shrines and brick altars, vigils among tombs and in secret places, and food the law declared unclean (65:3-4). The irony is sharp: these same people warn others off as less holy than themselves (65:5). God calls them smoke in His nostrils and a fire burning all day, a continual offense. Idolatry and self-righteousness go together here, as in the Pharisee who thanked God that he differed from other people (Luke 18:11-12), and Jesus' warning that God, who knows the heart, finds detestable what people esteem (Luke 16:15).
- Isaiah 65:3-5 (BSB)“to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick, sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls. They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.”The LORD describes forbidden worship by people who still claim to be holier than others.
- Luke 18:11-12 (BSB)“The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’”The Pharisee in Jesus' parable boasts that he is not like other men, the same proud spirit as 65:5.
- Luke 16:15 (BSB)“So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.”Jesus says God knows the heart and finds detestable what people prize, as with these self-righteous worshipers.
General
True or False: In 65:17-19 the LORD promises a new creation in which He Himself delights in Jerusalem and the cries of grief are gone.
Answer: True
This is true. The LORD announces that He will make the whole created order new, heavens and earth alike, and the troubles of the past will be forgotten (65:17). His people are to be glad without end over His new creation, because He will make Jerusalem and its people a source of gladness; God Himself will rejoice over them, and no one will hear weeping there anymore (65:18-19). The New Testament takes up this promise. Peter says believers look forward, as God promised, to a renewed heaven and earth where righteousness lives (2 Peter 3:13). John sees the new heaven and new earth and the new Jerusalem, where God wipes away every tear and there is no more mourning (Revelation 21:1-4), and hears God say He makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).
- Isaiah 65:17-19 (BSB)“For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and take delight in My people. The sounds of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.”The LORD promises new heavens and a new earth, a joyful Jerusalem, and an end to weeping.
- 2 Peter 3:13 (BSB)“But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”Peter says believers await, in keeping with God's promise, a new heaven and new earth.
- Revelation 21:1-4 (BSB)“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.””John sees the new heaven and earth and the new Jerusalem, where God ends mourning and crying.
- Revelation 21:5 (BSB)“And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.””God declares that He makes all things new, the same renewal 65:17 promises.
Theological
True or False: In 65:17-19 the LORD promises a new creation in which He Himself takes joy in Jerusalem and the sounds of mourning are silenced.
Answer: True
This is true. The LORD announces a new creation of heavens and earth, in which past troubles fade from memory (65:17). His people are summoned to endless gladness over His new creation, for He will make Jerusalem a joy and her people a delight; He Himself will rejoice in them, and weeping will be silenced (65:18-19). The New Testament explicitly takes up the promise: Peter speaks of believers awaiting, according to God's promise, a renewed heaven and earth as the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13), and John sees the new heaven and earth and the new Jerusalem, with every tear wiped away (Revelation 21:1-4), as God declares that He makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).
- Isaiah 65:17-19 (BSB)“For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and take delight in My people. The sounds of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.”The LORD promises new heavens and a new earth, a joyful Jerusalem, and an end to weeping.
- 2 Peter 3:13 (BSB)“But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”Peter says believers await, in keeping with God's promise, a new heaven and new earth.
- Revelation 21:1-4 (BSB)“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.””John sees the new heaven and earth and the new Jerusalem, where God ends mourning and crying.
- Revelation 21:5 (BSB)“And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.””God declares that He makes all things new, the same renewal 65:17 promises.
General
According to 65:6-7, whose sins does the LORD say He will repay?
Answer: Both their own sins and those of their ancestors
The LORD says the matter is on record before Him: He will not stay quiet but will pay back what is owed (65:6). The repayment covers both their own sins and the sins of their ancestors, because they too had offered incense on the heights and mocked Him on the hilltops (65:7). They were not innocent children punished for others' wrongs; they kept up the same rebellion their fathers began. God had warned that He would bring the guilt of fathers on the children of people who hate Him (Exodus 20:5), Jesus told the leaders of His day to finish what their fathers began (Matthew 23:32), and Paul says God will pay back every person for what he has done (Romans 2:5-6).
- Isaiah 65:6-7 (BSB)“Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps, both for your iniquities and for those of your fathers,” says the LORD. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and scorned Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their former deeds.””The LORD says He will repay the people for their own sins and their fathers'.
- Exodus 20:5 (BSB)“You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”God warned that He visits the fathers' iniquity on the children of those who hate Him.
- Matthew 23:32 (BSB)“Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.”Jesus tells the leaders of His day to fill up the measure of their fathers' sin, the same shared guilt.
- Romans 2:5-6 (BSB)“But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each one according to his deeds.””Paul affirms that God will repay each person according to his deeds.
Theological
In 65:6-7, whose iniquities does the LORD say He will pay back?
Answer: Both their own sins and those of their ancestors
The LORD declares that the case stands written before Him; He will not keep quiet but will repay (65:6). The payment includes both their own iniquities and those of their fathers, since they had likewise offered incense on the heights and despised Him on the hilltops (65:7). The guilt is shared because the sin is continued: the children carried forward the rebellion of the fathers. The principle appears in the Ten Commandments, where God visits the fathers' iniquity on those who hate Him (Exodus 20:5), in Jesus' charge to complete what the fathers began (Matthew 23:32), and in Paul's statement that God pays every person back for his deeds (Romans 2:5-6).
- Isaiah 65:6-7 (BSB)“Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps, both for your iniquities and for those of your fathers,” says the LORD. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and scorned Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their former deeds.””The LORD says He will repay the people for their own sins and their fathers'.
- Exodus 20:5 (BSB)“You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”God warned that He visits the fathers' iniquity on the children of those who hate Him.
- Matthew 23:32 (BSB)“Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.”Jesus tells the leaders of His day to fill up the measure of their fathers' sin, the same shared guilt.
- Romans 2:5-6 (BSB)“But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each one according to his deeds.””Paul affirms that God will repay each person according to his deeds.
General
How does the LORD contrast His servants with those who forsake Him in 65:13-15?
Answer: His servants are fed and glad while the others hunger and grieve
In a series of sharp contrasts, the LORD says His servants will have food, drink, and joy, while those who forsake Him will go hungry and thirsty and be ashamed (65:13). His servants will sing from glad hearts, while the others cry out in sorrow and anguish (65:14). The forsakers' name will be used as a curse, but God will give His servants a different name (65:15). Then blessings and oaths across the land will call on the faithful God, because the old troubles are forgotten (65:16). Jesus used the same kind of reversal: those who hunger now will be filled, but those who have plenty now will go hungry (Luke 6:21, 25). Mary praised God for filling the hungry and turning the rich away with nothing (Luke 1:53), and the risen Jesus promises a new name to every overcomer (Revelation 2:17).
- Isaiah 65:13-16 (BSB)“Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit. You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name. Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My sight.”The LORD contrasts the joy and new name of His servants with the shame of those who forsake Him.
- Luke 6:21 (BSB)“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”Jesus promises that those who hunger now will be filled, like the servants of 65:13.
- Luke 6:25 (BSB)“Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.”Jesus warns that those well fed now will hunger, the same reversal 65:13 announces.
- Luke 1:53 (BSB)“He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.”Mary praises God for filling the hungry and sending the rich away empty.
- Revelation 2:17 (BSB)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.”Christ promises the one who overcomes a new name, echoing the new name of 65:15.
Theological
What contrast does 65:13-15 draw between the LORD's servants and those who forsake Him?
Answer: His servants are fed and glad while the others hunger and grieve
The oracle sets the two groups side by side in a series of reversals: His servants eat, drink, and rejoice while the forsakers hunger, thirst, and are shamed (65:13); the servants sing from glad hearts while the others wail in anguish (65:14); the forsakers leave a name used in cursing, while the servants receive another name (65:15); thereafter blessings and oaths invoke the faithful God, since past distress is forgotten (65:16). Jesus' blessings and woes follow the same pattern of reversal (Luke 6:21, 25), Mary's song celebrates God filling the hungry and turning the rich away with nothing (Luke 1:53), and the risen Christ promises a new name to every overcomer (Revelation 2:17).
- Isaiah 65:13-16 (BSB)“Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit. You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name. Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My sight.”The LORD contrasts the joy and new name of His servants with the shame of those who forsake Him.
- Luke 6:21 (BSB)“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”Jesus promises that those who hunger now will be filled, like the servants of 65:13.
- Luke 6:25 (BSB)“Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.”Jesus warns that those well fed now will hunger, the same reversal 65:13 announces.
- Luke 1:53 (BSB)“He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.”Mary praises God for filling the hungry and sending the rich away empty.
- Revelation 2:17 (BSB)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.”Christ promises the one who overcomes a new name, echoing the new name of 65:15.
General
What does 65:25 picture on the LORD's holy mountain?
Answer: Animals that once preyed on others living together in peace
The chapter ends with a picture of peace: wolf and lamb eat side by side, the lion eats straw as an ox does, and nothing will hurt or destroy anywhere on God's holy mountain (65:25). The words closely echo Isaiah 11:6-9, the earlier promise of peace under the coming King from Jesse's family. One detail stands out: dust is still the serpent's food, recalling God's curse on the serpent in Eden (Genesis 3:14). The text describes a creation set free from violence. Paul speaks of creation itself one day being freed from decay (Romans 8:21).
- Isaiah 65:25 (BSB)“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.”The LORD pictures predators and prey at peace and no harm on His holy mountain.
- Isaiah 11:6-9 (BSB)“The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them. The cow will graze with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.”Isaiah's earlier vision uses the same images of wolf, lamb, and lion at peace on God's holy mountain.
- Genesis 3:14 (BSB)“So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.”God's curse on the serpent in Eden lies behind the detail that dust is the serpent's food.
- Romans 8:21 (BSB)“that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”Paul says creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay.
Theological
What scene does 65:25 describe on the LORD's holy mountain?
Answer: Animals that once preyed on others living together in peace
The chapter closes with a scene of restored peace: wolf and lamb graze together, the lion feeds on straw as cattle do, and nothing harms or destroys on God's holy mountain (65:25). The language closely echoes 11:6-9, the peace that accompanies the reign of the shoot from Jesse. The serpent alone remains under the sentence of Genesis 3:14, with dust as its food. The vision is of creation freed from predation and violence, which Paul's hope of creation's liberation from slavery to decay also expresses (Romans 8:21).
- Isaiah 65:25 (BSB)“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.”The LORD pictures predators and prey at peace and no harm on His holy mountain.
- Isaiah 11:6-9 (BSB)“The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them. The cow will graze with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.”Isaiah's earlier vision uses the same images of wolf, lamb, and lion at peace on God's holy mountain.
- Genesis 3:14 (BSB)“So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.”God's curse on the serpent in Eden lies behind the detail that dust is the serpent's food.
- Romans 8:21 (BSB)“that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”Paul says creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay.