Isaiah 66:24

24 "As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never be put out. The sight of them will be disgusting to all people." ¹

Isaiah 66:24 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 66:24

And they shall go forth
That is, those constant and spiritual worshippers shall go forth from the holy mountain Jerusalem, the church of God, whither they are brought as an offering to the Lord, and where they worship him; for this is not to be understood of going out of Jerusalem literally, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi; or of their going out of their graves after the resurrection, as others; but either out of the Christian assemblies, or out of the houses of the saints, and the beloved city, when fire shall come down from heaven, and destroy the wicked, ( Revelation 20:9 ) : and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against
me.
The Targum is,

``against my Word;''

against Christ, whose person they blasphemed, denying him to be God; whose office, as a Mediator and Saviour, they rejected; whose doctrines they contradicted; and whose ordinances they despised: these are not the carcasses of the camp of Gog and Magog, the Jews so call, as Kimchi interprets it; though it may have reference to the carcasses of Gog's army, the Turks, that will be slain in their attempt to recover Judea, ( Ezekiel 38:1-39:29 ) or else the carcasses of those that will be slain at the battle at Armageddon, ( Revelation 16:16 ) ( 19:18-21 ) or the army of Gog and Magog, at the end of the thousand years, ( Revelation 20:8 Revelation 20:9 ) . The Talmudists

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 observe from hence, that the wicked, even at the gate of hell, return not by repentance; for it is not said, that "have transgressed", but "that transgress"; for they transgress, and go on for ever; and so indeed the word may be rendered, "that transgress", or "are transgressing" ^F21; for they interpret it of the damned in hell, as many do; and of whom the following clauses may be understood: for their worm shall not die;
with which their carcasses shall be covered, they lying rotting above ground; or figuratively their consciences, and the horrors and terrors that shall seize them, which they will never get rid of. The Targum is,

``their souls shall not die;''

as they will not, though their bodies may; but will remain to suffer the wrath of God to all eternity: neither shall their fire be quenched; in hell, as Jarchi interprets it; those wicked men, the followers and worshippers of antichrist, will be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone; they will for ever suffer the vengeance of eternal fire; and the smoke of their torment shall ascend for ever and ever, ( Revelation 14:10 ) ( 19:20 ) : and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh;
the true worshippers of God, ( Isaiah 66:23 ) to whom their carcasses will be loathsome, when they look upon them; and their souls abominable, because of their wicked actions; and who cannot but applaud the justice of God in their condemnation; and admire distinguishing grace and mercy, that has preserved them from the like ruin and destruction. The Targum is,

``and the ungodly shall be judged in hell, till the righteous shall say concerning them, we have seen enough;''

see ( Mark 9:44 Mark 9:46 Mark 9:48 ) , where our Lord mentions and repeats some of the clauses of this, text, and applies them to the torments of hell.
F20 T. Bab. Erubim, fol. 19. 1. R. Hona in Midrash Tillim in Psal. i. 6.
F21 (yb Myevph) "praevaricantium in me", Pagninus, Montanus; "qui transgressi sunt contra me", Piscator; "deficientium a me", Cocceius.

Isaiah 66:24 In-Context

22 "Just as the new earth and the new heavens will endure by my power, so your descendants and your name will endure.

23 On every New Moon Festival and every Sabbath people of every nation will come to worship me here in Jerusalem," says the Lord.

24 "As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never be put out. The sight of them will be disgusting to all people."

Cross References

• 1. 66.24 +2Jude 16.17; +1Mark 9.48.