Isaiah 66:23

23 And this shall happen: From {new moon to new moon} and from {Sabbath to Sabbath} all flesh shall come to bow in worship before me," says Yahweh.

Isaiah 66:23 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 66:23

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another,
&c.] Or, "from month in its months" ^F17, The Targum is,

``in the time of the beginning of the "month in its month";''

that is, in every day of the month; or rather every month: and from one sabbath to another;
the form of expressions the same as before; and in like manner paraphrased in the Targum; and signifies either every day in the week; or rather every sabbath, or first day in the week; for we are not to imagine that new moons and Jewish sabbaths, that is, seventh day sabbaths, shall now be observed, which have been long abolished, ( Colossians 2:16 ) but, as New Testament officers of churches are, in the preceding verses, called by Old Testament names; so here the times and seasons of Gospel worship are expressed in Old Testament language; and the sense is, that the people of Christ and members of churches, in the latter day, shall constantly attend church meetings; shall assemble together every month to celebrate the Lord's supper; and every Lord's day, to hear the word, pray and sing praises together; hereby enjoying much spiritual peace and rest, and increasing in evangelical light, signified by the new moons and sabbaths; and especially this will have a fuller accomplishment in the New Jerusalem state, when there will be a perfect sabbatism, which now remains for the people of God, and when their light will be exceeding great and glorious; and so the Jews ^F18 interpret this of the world to come, which is all sabbath or rest; that is, from all toil and labour, from sin and sorrow, from Satan's temptations, and the world's persecutions; but not from the worship and service of God; though that will be in a different and more perfect manner than now it is; as follows: all flesh shall come to worship before me, saith the Lord;
that is, men of all nations, and persons of each sex; not Jews only, and their males, as formerly, but men and women; not every individual, but all that will be converted, which will be many, shall come to the places of public worship, where the saints meet together for that purpose, and join together in it; and this they shall do continually and without intermission, as the first Christians did, ( Acts 2:42 ) ( Hebrews 10:25 ) . The Talmud ^F19 interprets this of such whose heart is become as flesh; see ( Ezekiel 36:26 ) these shall not only worship in the presence of God, and in the view of him the omniscient God, and by his assistance, and to his glory; but him himself, Father, Son, and Spirit, with reverence and devotion, in spirit and in truth, and that constantly, in the New Jerusalem, and ultimate glory, in the utmost perfection and purity.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (wvdxb vdwx ydm) "a tempore mensis in mense ejus"; Montanus; "de mense in mensem suum", Forerius.
F18 Midrash Tillim in Psal. xc. 15. apud Galatia de Arcan, Cathol. Ver. l. 11. c. 8. p. 691.
F19 T. Bab. Sota, fol. 5. 1.

Isaiah 66:23 In-Context

21 And indeed, I will take some of them as priests [and] the Levites," says Yahweh.

22 "For just as the new heavens and earth that I [am] about to make shall stand before me," {declares} Yahweh, "so shall your descendants and your name stand.

23 And this shall happen: From {new moon to new moon} and from {Sabbath to Sabbath} all flesh shall come to bow in worship before me," says Yahweh.

24 "And they shall go out and look at the corpses of the people {who have rebelled} against me, for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "enough of new moon in his new moon"
• [b] Literally "enough of Sabbath in his Sabbath"