What is the meaning of Isaiah 66:18? And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts • The Lord begins by reminding us that nothing escapes His notice. “I, the LORD, search the heart; I test the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10). • He sees outward actions and inward motives alike—exactly what Jesus affirms in Matthew 12:25 when He “knew their thoughts.” • Because His knowledge is perfect, His coming judgment and blessing are perfectly just. There are no hidden agendas, no secret sins, and no unnoticed acts of faithfulness. am coming • This is an announcement of divine intervention, echoing earlier promises such as “Your God will come” (Isaiah 35:4). • It looks ahead to the twofold arrival of the Lord: – First, Christ’s first advent, when “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). – Ultimately, His second coming, when “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7). • God’s coming is always purposeful—never random or detached from His covenant plans. to gather all nations and tongues • The scope is global, fulfilling the promise to Abraham: “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). • Jesus’ Great Commission—“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19)—mirrors this prophetic vision. • The phrase “nations and tongues” anticipates the multicultural worship scene of Revelation 7:9, where a countless multitude from “every nation, tribe, people, and language” stands before the throne. • Israel’s Messiah is also the Savior of the world; the covenant expands to embrace Gentiles without erasing Israel’s unique role (Romans 11:25–27). and they will come • God’s gathering work elicits a response: people stream toward Him, just as Isaiah earlier foretold, “All nations will stream to it” (Isaiah 2:2). • The magnet is His grace. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). • History confirms this draw—from Pentecost, where every language group heard the gospel (Acts 2:5–11), to today’s global church. and see My glory • The ultimate purpose is revelation, not mere relocation. Like Moses, who prayed, “Show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18), the nations will witness God’s splendor. • Christ embodies that glory: “We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only” (John 1:14). • When He returns, His unveiled glory will fill the earth (Habakkuk 2:14) and bring final restoration (Revelation 21:23). • Seeing His glory transforms observers into worshipers (2 Corinthians 3:18), completing the redemptive arc. summary Isaiah 66:18 proclaims a God who knows every heart, personally intervenes in history, gathers a worldwide family, draws them to Himself, and reveals His glory. The verse anchors our hope: the all-seeing Lord is actively moving creation toward a climactic, multinational worship where His glory is fully known and joyfully adored. |
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