What is the meaning of Isaiah 66:24? As they go forth Isaiah places this scene after God has created “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 66:22–23). All the redeemed will regularly come to worship, and on leaving that joyous assembly they “go forth” to witness the other side of God’s holiness—judgment. • This movement underscores that salvation and judgment unfold side by side (Revelation 21:1–8). • The redeemed physically “go forth,” showing the tangible reality of both heaven’s glory and hell’s ruin. They will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me The rebels are not anonymous; they are those who defiantly opposed the Lord (Isaiah 1:2; 57:17). Their visible corpses prove that God’s verdict is public, final, and righteous. • Similar imagery appears when birds feast on the bodies of the beast’s armies (Revelation 19:17–18), portraying undeniable defeat. • Ezekiel 39:11-16 echoes this mass burial motif after divine victory. • The sight confronts every worshiper with the cost of rebellion and the grace that spared them. For their worm will never die Isaiah chooses decay imagery to stress unending shame. A maggot-consuming corpse normally finishes its work; here the process “never” ends. Jesus cites this phrase verbatim for Gehenna (Mark 9:47-48), affirming eternal, conscious punishment. • Daniel 12:2 contrasts “everlasting contempt” with “everlasting life,” reinforcing the same dual destiny. • No hint of annihilation appears; the torment is ongoing, not terminated. Their fire will never be quenched Fire in Scripture pictures God’s wrath (Hebrews 12:29). It is “unquenchable,” meaning no outside force can lessen or end it (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10). • The permanence of the fire matches the never-dying worm—dual metaphors underscoring one reality. • This affirms the literal, eternal nature of hell, a place prepared for the devil and his angels yet shared by all who persist in rebellion. And they will be a horror to all mankind “Horror” (or “abhorrence,” compare Daniel 12:2) speaks of perpetual disgust and dread. The rebels become an everlasting signpost: • A reminder to the redeemed of what they deserved but from which they were mercifully delivered (Psalm 52:6-7). • A witness to God’s uncompromising justice (Revelation 14:10-11). • A deterrent, displaying that sin’s wages are real and irreversible. summary Isaiah 66:24 presents an unblinking look at eternal punishment. After every gathering before the Lord in the new creation, the saved will view the defeated rebels, whose undying worm and unquenchable fire testify forever that God’s holiness avenges sin. The verse answers doubters of eternal judgment, assures believers of God’s final victory, and magnifies the grace that rescues all who trust in Christ. |
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