Isaiah 66:18

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,

Isaiah 66:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 66:18

For I know their works, and their thoughts
That is, of the persons before described; their evil works and thoughts, which are known to Christ the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, whose eyes are as a flame of fire to pierce and penetrate into them, ( Revelation 2:18 Revelation 2:23 ) or, "as for me F12, their works and their thoughts"; as I know them, and abhor them, I will take vengeance on them for them, for what they have devised and done against me and mine: "and it shall come"; that is, it shall come to pass, or the time shall come: that I will gather all nations and tongues;
not against Jerusalem in the war of Gog and Magog, as the Jewish commentators, Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi, interpret it, illustrating it by ( Zechariah 14:2 ) but to Christ and his church, by the preaching of the Gospel; which in the latter day will be published to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and that immediately upon the destruction of both the western and eastern antichrists; and particularly, by the means of the latter, way will be made for it into the kingdoms of the east, which thereby will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, ( Revelation 14:6 ) ( 16:12 ) ( 11:15 ) , and they shall come and see my glory;
the glory of Christ's person, offices, and grace; the glory of his Gospel, worship, and ordinances; the glory that will be upon Zion the church, and on all which there will be a defence, and a glorious sight it will be; see ( Isaiah 4:5 ) ( 60:1-3 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F12 (ykwnaw) "ad me vero quod attinet", Piscator, De Dieu, Cocceius, Vitringa.

Isaiah 66:18 In-Context

16 For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many.
17 "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination and mice, 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,
19 and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
20 And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the 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.