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Geneva Bible Notes (1560): Isaiah 66

1 a My majestie is so great that it filleth bothe heauen & earth, & therefore cannot be included in a temple like an idole: condemning hereby their vaine confidence, which trusted in the Temple & sacrifices.

1 ! God dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

2 b Seing that bothe the Temple & the things therein which the sacrifices were made & done by his appointment, he sheweth that he hathe no nede thereof, & that he can be without them {Psal. 50,10}.

2 c To him that is humble and pure in heart, which receiueth my doctrine with reuerence & feare.

3 ! He despiseth sacrifices done without mercie and faith.

3 d Because the Jewes thoght them selues holy by offring of their sacrifices, and in the meane season had nether faith nor repentance, God sheweth that he doeth no lesse detest these ceremonies, then he doeth the sacrifices of the heathen who offred men, doggs & swine to their idoles which things were expressely forbidden in the Law.

4 e I wil discouer their wickednes & hypocrisie, wherewith thei thinke to blinde mine eies, to all the worlde.

5 f He incourageth the faithful by promising to destroy their enemies which pretended to be as brethren, but were hypocrites and hated them that feared God.

5 ! God comforteth them that are troubled for his sake.

6 g The enemies shal shortely heare a more terrible voyce, euen fyre and slaughter, seing thei wolde not heare the gentle voyce of the Prophets which called them to repentance.

7 h Meaning, that the restauration of the Curch shulde be so sudden & contrarie to all mens opinion: as when a woman is deliuered before she loke for it, and that without peine in trauail.

8 i This shal passe the capacitie of man to se suche a multitude that shal come vp at once, meaning vnder the preaching of the Godpel, whereof thei that came vp out of Babylon, were a figure.

9 k Declaring hereby that as by his power, & prouidence woman trauaileth & is deliuered: so hathe he power to bring forth his Church at his time appointed.

11 l That ye may rejoyse for all the benefites that God bestoweth vpon his Church.

12 m I wil giue her felicitie, & prosperitie in great abundance.

12 n Read, {Chap. 60,16}.

12 o Ye shalbe cherished, as her derelie beloued children.

14 p Ye shal haue newe strength and newe beautie.

15 q This vegeance God began to execute at the destruction of Babylon, and hathe euer continued it against the enemies of his Church, & wil do til the last day, which shalbe the accomplishement thereof.

17 s Whereby are ment them that did maliciously transgresse the Law, by eating beasts forbidden, euen to the mouse which abhoreth nature.

18 t The Gentiles shalbe partakers of that glorie, which before I shewed to the Jewes.

19 u I wil marke these that I chuse that they perish not with the rest of the infideles: whereby he alludeth to the marking of the postes of his people, whome he preserued, {Exod. 12,7}.

19 ! The vocation of the Gentiles.

19 x I wil scatter the rest of the Jewes, which escape destruction, into diuers nations.

19 y That is, Cilicia.

19 z Meaning, Africa.

19 a To wit, Lidia, of Asia minor.

19 b Signifying, the Parthians.

19 c Italie.

19 d Grecia.

19 e Meaning, the Apostles, disciples, & others which he did first chuse of the Jewes to preache vnto the Gentiles.

20 f That is, the Gentiles, which by faith shalbe made the children of Abraham as you are.

20 g Whereby he meaneth that no necessarie meanes shal want when God shal call the Gentiles to the knowledge of the Gospel.

21 h To wit, of the Gentiles, as he did Luke, Timothie & Tite first, & others after to preache his worde.

22 i Hereby he signifieth the kingdome of Christ wherein his Church shal be renued, & where as before there were appointed seasons to sacrifice: in this there shalbe on continual Sabbath so that all times and seasons shalbe mete.

24 l Meaning, a continual torment of conscience, which shal euer gnawe them & neuer suffer them to be at rest, {Mark 9,44}.

24 m This is the juste recompence for the wicked, which conteming God and his worde, shalbe by Gods juste judgement abhorred of all his creatures.

24 ! The punishment of the wicked is euerlasting.

24 k As he hathe declared the felicitie that shalbe within the Church for the comfort of the godlie, so doeth he shewe what horrible calamitie shal come to the wicked, that are out of the Church.