Isaiah 66:5 Was Fulfilled During The Life Of Jesus And The Generation After His Ascension

Isaiah 65 is the destruction of old covenant, unfaithful, law-violating Israel. Though most of Israel would be destroyed, a remnant would be saved. The remnant is called God’s servants and are contrasted to the those in Israel who violated the law of Moses with no remorse or repentance.

Isaiah 66 continues the narrative of the destruction of old covenant, unfaithful Israel compared to God’s servants in Israel who were saved from the destruction. The servants were humble, having a contrite spirit and showing respect to the old covenant law (God’s word in Isaiah 66:2).

The humble in Israel are hated and excluded by the law-breakers in Israel (Isaiah 66:5).

Isaiah 66:5

“Your own people who hate you, and exclude you because of my name...”

We see this prophecy fulfilled in Luke 6:22 when Jesus said:

Luke 6:22

Blessed are you [believing Israel] when people [unbelieving Israel] hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

We also see Isaiah 66:5 fulfilled in John 15:18-25 and 16:1-2.

John 15:18-25

“If the world [the people of Israel; see verses 24-25] hates you [the twelve apostles of Jesus], keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you [the twelve apostles of Jesus] out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they [Christ-rejected, unbelieving Israel] persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name [see Isaiah 66:5], for they do not know the one who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them [Israel], they would not be guilty of sin [rejecting Jesus as the Christ; the sin of unbelief in Jesus as the Christ]; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them [Israel] the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen [Jesus and his miracles], and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ (Psalm 35:19; 69:4)

John 16:1-2

“All this [unbelieving Israel will hate the apostles and other believers as they did me] I have told you so that you will not fall away [reject Jesus as the Christ when the persecution begins]. They will put you [believers in Jesus in the first century] out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.

Isaiah 66:5 is also fulfilled in Matthew 10:22 and in Luke 21:12-19.

Matthew 10:22
You [first-century believers] will be hated by everyone because of My name [Isaiah 66:5], but the one who perseveres to the end [to the end of the persecution in the first-century by not denying Jesus as the Christ] will be saved [from the judgment that was coming upon first-century Israel; compare to 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9].

Luke 21:12-20

“But before all this, they [unbelieving Israel] will seize you [believing Israel] and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name [Isaiah 66:5]. 13And so you will bear testimony to me. 14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17Everyone will hate you because of me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19Stand firm [in your belief in Jesus as the Christ], and you will win life.”

As a result of Israel’s rejection of Jesus as the Christ and their persecution of believers in the first-century, judgment would come upon first-century Israel through the Roman armies.

Luke 21:20

“When you [believing Israel in the first century] see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies [AD 70], you will know that its desolation [the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple] is near.”

This takes us back to Isaiah 65-66.

We see the fulfillment of Isaiah 65 and 66 being fulfilled during the generation of Jesus.