Trembling (1–6). How can anyone build a house for the Lord when He made everything (Isa. 40:25–26)? He is so great that He uses the earth for His footstool (v. 1)! But with all of His greatness, God deigns to dwell with the humble (v. 2; 57:15), those who tremble at His word and seek to glorify Him (v. 5).
Travailing (7–13). The restoration of Israel’s kingdom will be as sudden and joyful as the birth of a baby. The travail of their tribulation will give birth to glory, and God will love them just like a mother (v. 13). It will be a time of peace and joy.
Triumphing (14–24). God will defeat His enemies (vv. 14–17), summon the gentile nations to share the glory (vv. 18–19), and make Israel a holy offering to the Lord (vv. 20–24). Isaiah opened his prophecy indicting Israel for her religious hypocrisy (chap. 1), but he ended it promising that her worship will be acceptable to the Lord.
Tremble at His Word
To “tremble at God’s word” (Isa. 66:2, 5) means to respect what God says and fear to disobey it (Ps. 119:120). The Jews experienced this when Ezra exposed their sins (Ezra 9:4; 10:3), and the prophet Habakkuk experienced it when he saw the vision of God’s judgment (Hab. 3:16). Saul of Tarsus trembled when he met the Lord (Acts 9:6). However, King Jehoiakim did not tremble at the Word; he tried to destroy it (Jer. 36), and that led to his destruction (Prov. 13:13). Paul urged, “Work out your own salvation [Christian life] with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).
