Isaiah 66:1–2 1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
The power of the sacrifice, resurrection, and ascended reign of Jesus Christ is presented in Hebrews 10:12-14. “12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ in the New Covenant compared with the Old Covenant. Hebrews 10:12-14 presents the ruling authority of Jesus Christ in and through His people as His enemies are increasingly made a footstool for His feet.
Isaiah 66:1-2 makes a similar declaration about the ruling authority of the Lord that was true then and is true now. The Lord rules over all creation from a throne in the dimension of heaven. The Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, and any rebuilt temple cannot contain the entirety of the Lord’s presence and power. Human hands construct tabernacles and temples. As such, they are both limited and contaminated by the touch of sinful man. The Lord is the Creator of all things which make up His realm. Our Lord’s sovereign power cannot be controlled or contained.
Another connection can be made between the two passages. Hebrews 10:14 speaks about those “who are being sanctified” as those “perfected for all time” by the one and only sacrifice of Christ. Isaiah 66:2b refers to the one who has the Lord’s attention as “he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” God does not bless the independent work of man’s hands, but His work is made evident in men and women who are “humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” and “those who are being sanctified,” showing they are those who have been “perfected for all time.” God’s fingerprints are all over them.
Worship of the Lord is not contained in a particular location or type of place. Such a statement does not mean that worship at the Tabernacle or the Temple was insignificant. Nor does it mean that the worship in the local church assembly is unimportant. What it does indicate is that the worship of the Lord happens in all of life, wherever the regenerated people of God happen to be. We are to “make known the glory of God in all of life, to the delight and satisfaction of all peoples.”
We live among godless people who are to see us worshipping the One True God in all that we do. We openly and worshipfully affirm this is our Lord’s world, and in His world, we all live and move and have our being. We became the subjects of our Lord by the gift of humble and contrite spirits that tremble at His word. Jesus, our Priest/King, displays His rule over us by advancing His gospel message through His church. He also advances His kingdom as we hold high the light of truth, exposing that our King has vanquished the forces of darkness (Colossians 2:14-15).
Such is the impact of our Lord’s ruling authority. May His name be praised and His cause advanced!
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