Isaiah 66:16

16 For by fire will the Lord execute judgment, and by his sword, on all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many.

Isaiah 66:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 66:16

For by fire, and by his sword, will the Lord plead with all
flesh
With the Mahometans, the Turks, the Ottoman empire, against whom he will call for a sword, and will rain upon them fire and brimstone, signified by Gog and Magog, ( Ezekiel 38:22 ) ( 39:6 ) and with the other antichristian powers at the battle of Armageddon; and when the fourth vial will be poured upon the sun, and men will be scorched with fire; see ( Revelation 16:8 Revelation 16:9 Revelation 16:16 ) ( Revelation 19:20 Revelation 19:21 ) : and the slain of the Lord shall be many;
that is, those that will be slain by the Lord, both in the attempt of the Turks to recover the land of Canaan out of the hands of the Jews, possessed of it; whose numbers of slain will be so many, that the burying of them will last seven months, ( Ezekiel 39:12 ) and in the battle between the Christian princes, Christ at the head of them, and the antichristian armies, led on by the beast and the kings of the earth; when the fowls of the air will be invited to the great supper of the Lord, to eat the flesh of kings, captains, and mighty men, so great will the slaughter be, ( Revelation 19:17-21 ) , see also ( Isaiah 11:13 ) .

Isaiah 66:16 In-Context

14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bodies shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies.
15 For the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to pay back his anger in fury, and his rebuke in flames of fire.
16 For by fire will the Lord execute judgment, and by his sword, on all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many.
17 Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the center, eating the flesh of pigs, vermin, and rodents, shall come to an end together, says the Lord.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory,
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.