'They shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have

transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall

their fire be quenched: and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh'.

This is 'Tophet' of Isaiah 30:33, a place of burning in the valley of

Hinnom, the 'Gehenna' and 'Hell' of New Testament passages.  The words of

Isaiah 66:24 are quoted in Mark 9:44 and distorted to teach 'eternal

conscious suffering', whereas the plain fact is that 'carcases' are the

subject of both 'worm' and 'fire'.  With this passage before us our

conception of the character of the Millennium may need some revision.

Reverting for a moment to the opening of chapter 66, even though a

wonderful temple (built according to the forecasted plan of the prophet

Ezekiel) shall be the centre of that Holy Land, the Lord says to Israel:

'Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house

that ye build unto Me? ... to this man will I look, even to him that is

poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word' (Isa. 66:1,2).

Here we have an echo of Isaiah 57:15 and of the words of Solomon at the

dedication of the temple, 1 Kings 8:27.

The strange and abrupt transition at Isaiah 66:3 reveals the

worthlessness and the abomination that all sacrificial worship must be in the

Lord's eyes, if offered by any but those of a poor and contrite spirit and by

those who tremble at His word.

The closing chapters of Isaiah are a standing rebuke to all who have a

cut -and -dried programme of the ages and who omit the disturbing interplay

of Divine and human actions and ways.  Israel 'chose' their own ways, they

'chose' that in which the Lord delighted not.  As a consequence the Lord

'chose' their delusions, because when He called none answered, and when He

spake they did not hear (66:3,4).  It is to the man that 'trembleth' at the

Word of God that He will look, and it is they who 'tremble' at His word, who

had been hated and baited for His name's sake, who shall not be ashamed at

His appearing (66:5,6).

The 'sorrows' of Matthew 24:8 are the pains especially associated with

childbirth (see same word 1 Thess. 5:3), and a nation is born at once (Isa.

66:7 -9).  Comfort long promised, at last is ministered to this people

(66:13), while He comes with His chariots like a whirlwind to render His

anger and His rebuke (66:13 -16).  Scattered and outcast Israel shall be

gathered for an offering unto the Lord, and shall be brought in chariots,

litters, mules and any vehicle with wheels (swift beasts) (66:19 -20).

We give the structure of Isaiah 65:17 to 66:24, which though involved

can be helpful to the patient reader.

A

65:17 -25.

a

Jerusalem a rejoicing.

Two

b

Sinner accursed.

Seed blessed.

at

I create

a  Not hurt.

Holy Mountain.

b

Dust, the serpent's meat.