Final Judgment and Hope

Isaiah 66

YHWH says:

“Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will y’all build to me? Where will I rest? For my hand has made all these things, and so all these things came to be,” says YHWH: “but I will look to this person, to the one who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. Whoever kills an ox is like one who kills a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever offers an offering, like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever burns frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them, because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they didn’t listen, but they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn’t delight.”

 

Hear the word of YHWH, y’all who tremble at ʜɪꜱ word: “Your* brothers who hate y’all, who cast y’all out for my name’s sake, have said, ‘Let YHWH be glorified, that we may see y’all’s joy;’ but it is those who will be disappointed. A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of YHWH that repays ʜɪꜱ enemies what they deserve.

 

“Before she was in labor, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a son. Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. Do I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says YHWH. “Do I, the one who delivers, shut the womb?” says your God.

 

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all y’all who love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all y’all who mourn over her; that y’all may nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts, that y’all may drink deeply, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.”

 

For YHWH says, “Look, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream, and y’all will nurse. Y’all will be carried on her side, and will be dandled on her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort y’all. Y’all will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

 

Y’all will see it, and y’all’s heart will rejoice, and y’all’s bones will flourish like the tender grass. YHWH’s hand will be known among ʜɪꜱ servants; and ʜᴇ will have indignation against ʜɪꜱ enemies.

 

Look, YHWH will come with fire, and ʜɪꜱ chariots will be like the whirlwind; to render ʜɪꜱ anger with fierceness, and ʜɪꜱ rebuke with flames of fire. For YHWH will execute judgment by fire and by ʜɪꜱ sword on all flesh, and those slain by YHWH will be many.

“Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, following one in the middle, eating pig’s meat, abominable things, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together,” says YHWH.

“For I know their works and their thoughts. The time comes that I will gather all nations and languages, and they will come and will see my glory.

“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory. They will declare my glory among the nations. They will bring all y’all’s silbings out of all the nations for an offering to YHWH, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says YHWH, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of YHWH. Of them I will also select priests and Levites,” says YHWH.

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will remain before me,” says YHWH, “so y’all’s offspring and y’all’s name will remain. It will happen that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before me,” says YHWH. “They will go out, and look at the dead bodies of those who have transgressed against me, for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all humankind.”