Isaiah 66:1, commentary and pictures

God rules from heaven with the earth under His feet, and all things exist because His hand made them. No house built by human hands can contain Him, add to His greatness, or give Him rest, since even heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot hold Him. He does not look with favor to buildings, rank, wealth, learning, or outward religious forms, but to the one who is poor and of a humble, contrite spirit and trembles at His word. He dwells with the humble and contrite, hears the prayer of the needy heart, revives the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite, and fills His own with the light of His presence. Splendid temples and rites cannot make worship pleasing while sin is cherished, for He desires holiness, mercy, and knowledge of Himself, and acceptable worship comes only from humble, contrite hearts.

Beyond Every Human House

Heaven is God's throne and the place of His highest worship, and earth is His footstool, set under His rule and beneath Him. His throne is in heaven, with the earth beneath Him, and the place of His highest worship is in heaven. God is not confined to a temple built by human hands, for heaven is the place of His throne and highest worship while earth is His footstool.

Because His hand made all things and they exist by His doing, no house or temple built by men can contain Him, magnify Him, or give Him rest. Heaven and earth belong to God, so no human-built house can be the place that contains Him or provides His rest. Even heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. The question where is the house to be built for Him and where is the place of His rest shows that no house built by men can be His rest.

With his highest capabilities man cannot by human wisdom reason out the mystery of the Invisible One or comprehend God, for He made all things. The wonderful things of the spiritual world are hidden from the wise and prudent, while the Holy Spirit reveals those hidden things to babes and to the humble and contrite. Though He is the high and holy One, He reveals Himself to the humble and contrite and fills the hearts of His chosen ones with the light of His presence.

The question about what house people could build for God exposes the limits of the temple and points to the spiritual meaning of Israel's worship made clear through Christ. No house can contain Him or provide His place of rest, which challenges reliance on the temple as though a building were necessary to God's presence or rest. His greatness exceeds any building, for God made all things and His dwelling and rule are not confined to a human-built temple. The verse challenges the claim that a building can be God's dwelling or resting place.

God Looks to Contrite

Though He is high and holy and inhabits eternity, He does not look with favor to buildings, rank, wealth, learning, or outward religious forms, but to the one who is poor and of a contrite and humble spirit and trembles at His word. Heaven is His throne and earth His footstool and all things were made by His hand, so no house built by men can contain Him or give Him rest, and His nearness and regard belong to the humble and repentant, not the proud. Humility and reverence for His word mark those who have learned from Him, for reconciliation with Him is sure when people come to Him with humble, contrite hearts. Trembling at His word is a sensitive reverence toward Him learned by all in whom the Holy Spirit dwells and by all who have learned meekness and lowliness from Him.

He dwells in the high and holy place, yet He abides and dwells with the one who is poor and of a contrite and humble spirit and trembles at His word, to revive the spirit of the humble and revive the heart of the contrite ones. He hears the prayers of all who come to Him in their necessity with humble heart, and He manifests Himself to them. He reveals Himself to the humble and contrite and fills the hearts of His chosen ones with the light of His presence.

When the condition of a broken, humble, contrite heart is met, the reconciliation of God to man and man to God is sure, giving ground for gratitude all the days of life. That humble righteousness gives peace and comfort and good hope in this life and the sweet spirit of religious fellowship in the hope of the gospel, for those who learn that repentance means pardon receive grace and hope as the claims of the law convict of transgression and the Holy Spirit works upon hearts. By this He distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked in His church, giving to those who do righteously as partakers of the divine nature striving to overcome the corruption in the world through lust. True greatness is found in meekness and humility before Him, for He values a humble, surrendered heart rather than outward forms, and He accepts service marked by self-sacrifice, with Christ uplifted and the worker hidden.

Worship, Humility, and Mission

No splendor of architecture and no round of rites can make worship acceptable while those who worship hold fast to sin, for what is desired is holiness and mercy and knowledge of God rather than sacrifice alone, and the question of what house could be built rests on humble and contrite hearts with whom God dwells to revive them. Since heaven is the throne and earth the footstool, no house made by human hands can contain or magnify the Maker of all things or give Him rest, and therefore glory and adoration belong to the Lord alone, with none exalting self, claiming righteousness as one's own, or seeking glory for self or from others. Though enthroned on high, He is not far off but looks with favor on the one who is poor and humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at His word, and that trembling calls for putting on humility, breaking pride and cold formalism and Phariseeism, so that His glory may be revealed.

Ministry is to be carried on in meekness and lowliness of heart learned from Christ, and an ever-humble and contrite spirit is the evidence of having been with Jesus. The soul-saving message is to fall from sanctified lips without a denunciatory spirit and without scathing rebuke or words of condemnation, in as quiet a manner as possible, with words revealing melting love for a lost world. While this is done the Holy Spirit works upon human hearts and the claims of the law bear upon conscience to convict of transgression, and when sinners learn that repentance means pardon they receive grace to strengthen them and enter the sweet fellowship and hope of the gospel. Service thus offered in self-sacrifice, with Christ uplifted and the worker hidden, is accepted, and by this humble righteousness those who do righteously are distinguished from the wicked as partakers of the divine nature striving to overcome the corruption in the world through lust, receiving peace and comfort and good hope in this life.

The same question about a house for God applies to the land near the school, for since heaven and earth belong to Him no human-built house can contain Him or provide His rest, and the ground appointed for His work is to be used for the school rather than occupied by private homes. Those grounds are to be dedicated as His own schoolroom, with all land not needed for buildings kept largely as the school farm, an acted parable and lesson book of the spiritual culture of the soul under well-qualified superintendents, and with work joined to study. That appointment was learned through the experiences of the last days of 1898 concerning the evils of disposing of nearby land for dwelling houses, teaching trembling at His word by honoring His appointment of the land for the benefit of the school and as a philanthropic center to teach the poor and helpless and ignorant how to help themselves. Except for facilities essential for teachers and students, the land is not to be settled with private houses or have church premises invaded by houses to suit natural selfishness and convenience and reputation, for multiplying families about the buildings and then having to seek other distant land for school purposes throws difficulties in the way of teachers and students and reveals human nature under temptation, a great mistake always to be greatly regretted.

The open air itself is the Lord's great temple, with the heavens for its dome and the earth for its floor, so that holding meetings and preaching outdoors is worship in God's own house. Done in this way, outdoor worship is a right means of reaching people who cannot be reached in churches.