Isaiah 65

They Shall Not Hurt

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says the LORD.—Isaiah 65:25, NIV

A verse-by-verse study of Isaiah 65 (by Wade Austin)

God, through the prophet Isaiah, spoke concerning both the development of the spiritual phase of God’s kingdom during the Gospel age and the establishment of the earthly phase of his kingdom in the Millennial age. God assured the nation of Israel that he would remain faithful to his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob concerning them as the natural seed. But, because of their unfaithfulness, the heavenly kingdom would be found by and given to “a nation that was not called by my name” (Isaiah 65:1; Romans 10:20).

A thorough study of Isaiah reveals Scriptures that are applicable: 1) to the nation of Israel alone; 2) to the world of mankind through the nation of Israel; and 3) to spiritual Israel (the church). The prophet Isaiah also wrote of essential characteristics and principles of God’s kingdom that apply to both natural and spiritual Israel. A verse-by-verse study of Isaiah 65 reveals the intertwined process of God’s creative work containing a promise concerning the new creation of the Gospel age, as well as the Millennial age promise to bless Israel and all the families of the earth during God’s kingdom of peace.

Gospel Call—verse 1

I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

In this verse God speaks of revealing himself to the seed of faith among the gentiles (“a nation that was not called by my name”). Paul quotes this verse in Romans 10:20,21 as part of his documentation of the grace of God which he eloquently expounded on throughout Romans. Paul argued that Christ was the ultimate demonstration of God’s grace and that he put an end to any notion that righteousness could be attained through keeping the law. Those who accept this revelation of God’s grace (his unmerited favor) find God by faith and are called by his name.

Paul used the words of both Isaiah and Moses to teach the Jews of his day that God had prophesied of a time when God’s grace would be revealed to a seed of faith, and with the advent of Jesus that day had come (Romans 10:18-21). Paul and Barnabas spoke forcefully to the Jews of their day: “When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:44-47, NIV).

Disobedient Rejected—verses 2, 3

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick.

God informs Israel that he offered his grace to them “all day long” (NIV), but they remained disobedient and obstinate. God describes the specific types of sins of Israel and warns of punishment for them. These sins included rebelliousness, a sinful walk, provoking God, sacrificing in gardens (a reference to idol worship and possibly tree worship), brick incense altars, lodging among graves and monuments (worshiping the dead), eating swine and other forbidden meat, and being self-righteous (specially their spiritual leaders, the scribes and the Pharisees). Finally God says: “Behold, it is written before Me, I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay into their bosom, both their own iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together, says the LORD. Because they have burned incense on the mountains, and scorned Me on the hills, therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom” (Isaiah 65:6-7, NAS).

Punishment would be inflicted upon them for their fathers’ sins and for their own. To “repay into their bosom” means to deposit their sins in the folds of their robes about their breast where they carried their most precious possessions. Modern men carry their valuables in their pockets. Were this the custom with Israel, God would have repaid them in their pockets.

Paul may have captured the thought of this symbolism when he wrote, “Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. … Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:27-32, NIV).

When one is a slave to his own lusts, how great is that slavery. God in Isaiah informed Israel that if they are consumed by their lusts, by what they hold near and dear to their bosom, he will repay them with more of the same. They will get what they desire together with the fruits of that desire.

Jacob not Destroyed—verses 8-10.

Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

God says he will not destroy Jacob (natural Israel) for his servant’s sake. Instead, a seed is to be brought forth and “mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.” Paul refers to these elect servants when he poses and then answers the question, “Did God reject his people? By no means!” (Romans 11:1 NIV). He then clarifies his answer to his rhetorical question with the words, “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:5,6, NIV).

Isaiah 65:10-16 contrasts the faithful seed with the unfaithful seed in respect to both their behavior and their rewards. Sharon, a level plain, will be a pastureland for sheep, and Achor, a word that means “trouble,” will become a place for herds to lie down. Both pictures imply a time of dwelling peacefully without fear of enemies. In contrast, verses 11 and 12 again refer to the natural seed that “forgot” God’s “holy mountain.” “But you who forsake the LORD, who forget and ignore My holy Mount [Zion], who prepare a table for [the Babylonian God of fortune] Gad, and who furnish mixed drinks for [the goddess of destiny] Meni; I will destine you [says the Lord] to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen or obey; but you did what was evil in My eyes; and you chose that in which I did not delight” (Isaiah 65:11,12, Amplified).

Because Israel sacrificed to the God of destiny, God destines that they will fall by the sword, and because they “prepared a table” (i.e., banquet), “you shall bow down to the slaughter.” Here “slaughter” (Strong’s #2876 and related to #2873) carries the thought of slaying for a banquet.

Cast-Off Israel—verses 13-15

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name.

The condition of cast-off Israel is being contrasted with that of spiritual Israel. Jesus used similar imagery when he said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV). This was indeed contrary to the attitude of the natural seed: “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” (Romans 10:3, NIV). Likewise we have Jesus’ words, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe” (John 6:35,36, NIV).

The “howl for vexation of spirit” (verse 14) is reminiscent of the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” mentioned in the New Testament. “My servants shall sing for joy of heart” refers to the spiritual seed as servants. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43, NIV).

The first part of Isaiah 65 closes with the words, “So shall ye leave your name for an oath, to my chosen ones—So then My Lord Yahweh will slay thee, and his servants will he call by another name: so that he who blesseth himself in the earth will bless himself in the God of faithfulness, and he who sweareth in the earth will swear by the God of faithfulness, because the former troubles have been forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes” (Isaiah 65:15,16, Rotherham).

Rotherham more correctly translates Strong’s #7621 as “oath” instead of “curse” as it is in the King James. Spiritual Israelites (“my chosen ones”) do not go about using Israel as a curse word. Rather, God’s servants, his chosen ones, are known by another name, “the sons of God.” Israel’s name is an oath or covenant to the sons of God that what God has sworn to do he will perform. The apostle Paul explains: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11,12, NIV).

In verse 16, the word translated truth in the King James, and faithfulness in Rotherham, is the word for Amen. That is to say, “the God of Amen.” Typically “amen” is used when one confirms the word of another in the sense, “let it be so.” By saying “amen” one affirms an intent to be faithful to the words just spoken or the covenant just entered into. God is a God of his word. He will faithfully perform what he says he will do. He will fulfill his promise to both the natural and the spiritual seeds of Israel.

The “earth” (verse 16) is not the Law age earth (the natural seed) under the Law age heavens (the Aaronic priesthood administering the Law Covenant). It refers to the Gospel age earth (the spiritual seed) under the Gospel age heavens (Christ, our high priest after the order of Melchisedek and the firstfruit of the promise made to Abraham through Sarah—see Galatians 3:16-29; 4:24-31). Verse 16 assures Jews whose eyes are opened and who approach God by faith as a God of faithfulness, that they will be blessed because “I ignore the troubles of the past, I shut mine eyes to them” (Isaiah 65:16, Moffat).

A New Topic?—verse 17

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Verses 17-25 form a unified context. Do these verses connect to the subject of verses 16 and preceding, or do they introduce a new thought?

Certainly the picture language of Isaiah 65:17-25 suggests a time of blessing and peace such as has not existed among mankind. Just as certainly, the principles upon which the peaceful conditions there described are founded will be the basis of peace during the Millennial age reign of Christ and his church. Nevertheless the symbolism of “earth” begun in verse 16 applies not only to mankind in the kingdom, it also applies to God’s chosen people (Gospel age earth, the church) with whom he has made a covenant (the Sarah feature of the Abrahamic Covenant) under the Gospel age heaven (Christ, our high priest). Paul used the same symbolism when he wrote, “Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother” (Galatians 4:25-27, NIV).

The similarity of the last phrase of verse 16 and the last phrase of verse 17 strongly suggests a continuity of the author’s message and not a switching of subjects. “The former shall not be remembered nor come into mind” (verse 16) refers to the Law age heavens and earth (the priesthood administering the Law Covenant and the nation of Israel under that covenant). “For behold me! Creating new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be mentioned, neither shall they come up on the heart” (verse 17, Rotherham) speaks to the Jews at the beginning of the Gospel age. Then God began to create his new creation and he gave the first opportunity to Jews. “The former shall not be remembered” poetically describes the freedom of all who came into Christ, especially Jews, who would no longer be in bondage to the law because they had died to it through baptism into Christ.

Jerusalem—verses 18, 19

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. (NIV)

Understanding the symbolism of Jerusalem assists the reader to understand the dual application of these and the succeeding verses of this chapter. Research on the name Jerusalem results in some differences of opinion, but consensus seems to center around “city of peace,” with “habitation of peace” and “possession of peace” being alternate versions. Certainly such meanings contribute to the picture painted by the remaining verses of Isaiah 65, and they are equally accurate descriptions of the Gospel age church and the New Jerusalem (the Bride of Christ) that comes down from God out of heaven in the next age (Revelation 21:1-4).

Symbolic Blessings—verse 20 (and onward)

Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. (NIV)

Trying to understand Isaiah 65:20 literally causes great confusion. Picture language is never meant to be understood literally and the whole chapter of Isaiah 65 is filled with such language. This verse, rather than referring to a literal child, man, or “a hundred years,” is a collection of idioms conveying the thought that in Jerusalem every person, young and old, will have a full opportunity to come into peaceful harmony with God. This is true of God’s sons during this age and it will be true of all mankind in the kingdom. After such a full opportunity, if any one dies, it will be for his own sins in spite of the abundant grace of God.

(Compare the use of the number 100 in Ecclesiastes 6:3 and 8:12, “If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years,” “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times.” 100 is not intended literally in either case.)

Picturesque Description—verses 21-25

And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

These texts continue the picturesque description of Jerusalem, the “habitation of peace” enjoyed by God’s children now and assuredly to be enjoyed by all nations of the earth when the King of Peace, Jesus Christ together with his church, reigns in righteousness during the next age.

The Israelites were used to building homes, planting vineyards, and toiling to improve their lives only to have the work of their hands destroyed by invading armies. They yearned for peace but it never lasted because of their unfaithfulness. But the true children of God neither make war nor suffer destructive assault, nor will the resurrected people of the world in the coming kingdom. God hears the prayers of his people now before they call on him and this principle will exist in the kingdom to come. Likewise, former enemies (pictured by the wolf and the lamb, the lion and the ox, and the serpent) will dwell together in harmony and will continue to do so.

“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,” proclaims a blessed assurance fully understood now only by those who by faith lay hold upon the promises of the “God of faithfulness.” Most assuredly it will be understood by all when “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4, NIV).