Isa 66:1
66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The {a} heaven [is] my throne, and the
     earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build
     to me? and where [is] the place of my rest?

     (a) My majesty is so great, that it fills both heaven and
         earth, and therefore cannot be included in a temple
         like an idol, condemning by this their main confidence
         which trusted in the temple and sacrifices.

Isa 66:2
66:2 For all these [things] hath my hand made, {b} and all these
     [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will
     I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of {c} a contrite
     spirit, and trembleth at my word.

     (b) Seeing that both the temple and the things in it, with
         the sacrifices were made and done by his appointment,
         he shows that he has no need of it, and that he can be
         without them, \\see Geneva "Ps 50:10"\\.
     (c) To him that is humble and pure in heart, who receives
         my doctrine with reverence and fear.

Isa 66:3
66:3 He that killeth an ox [is as if] he {d} slew a man; he that
     sacrificeth a lamb, [as if] he cut off a dog's neck; he
     that offereth an oblation, [as if he offered] swine's
     blood; he that burneth incense, [as if] he blessed an idol.
     Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul
     delighteth in their abominations.

     (d) Because the Jews thought themselves holy by offering
         their sacrifices, and in the mean season had neither
         faith or repentance, God shows that he no less detests
         these ceremonies than he does the sacrifices of the
         heathen, who offered men, dogs and swine to their
         idols, which things were expressly forbidden in the
         law.

Isa 66:4
66:4 I also will {e} choose their delusions, and will bring
     their fears upon them; because when I called, none did
     answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil
     before my eyes, and chose [that] in which I delighted not.

     (e) I will discover their wickedness and hypocrisy, with
         which they think to blind my eyes to all the world.

Isa 66:5
66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his {f} word;
     Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my
     name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall
     appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

     (f) He encourages the faithful by promising to destroy
         their enemies, who pretended to be as brethren, but
         were hypocrites, and hated them that feared God.

Isa 66:6
66:6 {g} A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the
     temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to
     his enemies.

     {g} The enemies will shortly hear a more terrible voice,
         even fire and slaughter, seeing they would not hear the
         gentle voice of the prophets, who called them to
         repentance.

Isa 66:7
66:7 Before {h} she travailed, she brought forth; before her
     pain came, she was delivered of a male child.

     (h) Meaning, that the restoration of the church would be so
         sudden and contrary to all men's opinions as when a
         woman is delivered before she looked for it, and
         without pain in travail.

Isa 66:8
66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things?
     Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one {i} day?
     [or] shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion
     travailed, she brought forth her children.

     (i) This will pass the capacity of man to see such a
         multitude that will come up at once, meaning under the
         preaching of the gospel of which they who came out of
         Babylon were a sign.

Isa 66:9
66:9 Shall I {k} bring to the birth, and not cause to bring
     forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and
     shut [the womb]? saith thy God.

     (k) Declaring by this that as by his power and providence
         women travailed and delivered so he gives power to
         bring forth the Church at his appointed time.

Isa 66:11
66:11 That ye may nurse, {l} and be satisfied with the breasts
      of her consolations; that ye may draw milk, and be
      delighted with the abundance of her glory.

      (l) That is may rejoice for all the blessings that God
          bestows on his Church.

Isa 66:12
66:12 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend {m} peace
      to her like a river, and the glory of the {n} Gentiles
      like a flowing stream: then shall ye be nursed, ye shall
      be {o} borne upon [her] sides, and be dandled upon [her]
      knees.

      (m) I will give her happiness and prosperity in great
          abundance.
      (n) Read Isa 60:16.
      (o) You will be cherished as her dearly beloved children.

Isa 66:14
66:14 And when ye see [this], your heart shall rejoice, and your
      {p} bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the
      LORD shall be known toward his servants, and [his]
      indignation toward his enemies.

      (p) You will have new strength and new beauty.

Isa 66:15
66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his
      chariots like a whirlwind, to {q} render his anger with
      fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

      (q) This vengeance God began to execute at the destruction
          of Babylon and has always continued it against the
          enemies of his Church, and will do till the last day,
          which will be the accomplishment of it.

Isa 66:17
66:17 They that sanctify {r} themselves, and purify themselves
      in the gardens behind one [tree] in the midst, eating {s}
      swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall
      be consumed together, saith the LORD.

      (r) Meaning, the hypocrites.
      (s) By which are meant them that maliciously transgressed
          the law, by eating beasts forbidden, even to the mouse
          which nature abhors.

Isa 66:18
66:18 For I [know] their works and their thoughts: it shall
      come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they
      shall come, and see my {t} glory.

      (t) The Gentiles will be partakers of that glory, which
          before I showed to the Jews.

Isa 66:19
66:19 And I will set a {u} sign among them, and I will send
      those that {x} escape of them to the nations, [to] {y}
      Tarshish, {z} Pul, and {a} Lud, that draw the {b} bow,
      [to] {c} Tubal, and {d} Javan, [to] the isles afar off,
      that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory;
      and {e} they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

      (u) I will make these that I chose, that they perish not
          with the rest of the infidels: by which he alludes to
          the marking of the posts of his people, whom he
          preserved, Ex 12:7.
      (x) I will scatter the rest of the Jews, who escaped
          destruction, into various nations.
      (y) That is, Cecilia.
      (z) Meaning Africa.
      (a) That is Lydia, or Asia minor.
      (b) Signifying the Parthians.
      (c) Italy.
      (d) Greece.
      (e) Meaning, the apostles, disciples and others who he
          first chose of the Jews to preach to the Gentiles.

Isa 66:20
66:20 And they shall bring all your {f} brethren [for] an
      offering to the LORD out of all nations upon {g} horses,
      and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon
      swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the
      LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a
      clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

      (f) That is the Gentiles, who by faith will be made the
          children of Abraham as you are.
      (g) By which he means that no necessary means will want,
          when God will call the Gentiles to the knowledge of
          the gospel.

Isa 66:21
66:21 And I will also take of them for {h} priests [and] for
      Levites, saith the LORD.

      (h) That is, of the Gentiles, as he did Luke, Timothy and
          Titus first, and others after to preach his word.

Isa 66:22
66:22 For as the new {i} heavens and the new earth, which I will
      make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall
      your seed and your name remain.

      (i) By this he signifies the kingdom of Christ in which
          his Church will be renewed, and where before there
          were appointed seasons to sacrifice in this there will
          be one continual Sabbath, so that all times and
          seasons will be meet.

Isa 66:24
66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the {k} carcases of
      the men that have transgressed against me: for their {l}
      worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched;
      and they shall be an abhorrence {m} to all flesh.

      (k) As he who declared the happiness that will be within
          the Church for the comfort of the godly, so does he
          show what horrible calamity will come to the wicked,
          that are out of the Church.
      (l) Meaning, a continual torment of conscience, which will
          always gnaw them, and never permit them to be at rest,
          Mr 9:44.
      (m) This is the just recompense for the wicked, who
          contemning God and his word, will be by God's just
          judgments abhorred by all his creatures.