Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 66:23

"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Jehovah." — Isaiah 66:23 (ASV)

And it shall come to pass - As the prophet closes the book and concludes his whole prophecy, he directs attention to that future period which had occupied so much of his attention in vision, when the whole world will be acquainted with the true religion, and all nations will worship Yahweh. Of such a book, there could be no more appropriate close; and such a contemplation was especially fitting for the last prophetic moments of the ‘evangelical prophet’ Isaiah.

From one new moon to another - Margin, ‘New moon to its new moon.’ The Hebrew literally is, ‘As often as the month comes in its month;’ that is, in its time, every month, every new moon (Gesenius, Lexicon, on the word מדי midēy). The Hebrews held a festival on the return of each month, or at every new moon (see the notes at Isaiah 1:14). A similar prophecy occurs in Zechariah 14:16: And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came up against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Regarding the meaning of this, it is evident that it cannot be taken literally. In the nature of things, it would be impossible for all nations to go literally before Yahweh in Jerusalem once a month, or once a year, to worship. It must then mean that at periodical seasons, all the human family will worship Yahweh. The festivals of the new moon, the feast of tabernacles, and the Sabbaths were the set times among the Hebrews for the worship of God. The idea is that on set times, or at regularly recurring intervals, the worship of God will yet be celebrated in all lands.

I see no evidence, therefore, that this means that there should be established on the earth the habit of meeting for prayer, or for the worship of God once a month—any more than the passage quoted above from Zechariah proves that a feast like that of tabernacles would be celebrated once a year. But the idea is clear: the time will come when Yahweh will be worshipped regularly and periodically everywhere. In all nations, His worship will be established in a manner similar in some respects to that which prevailed among His people in ancient times.

And from one Sabbath to another - (Compare the notes at Isaiah 58:13-14). There can be no permanent worship of God, and no permanent religion on earth, without a Sabbath. And so, while the observance of the feasts of tabernacles, the Passover, and the new moons was part of the ceremonial law, the law respecting the Sabbaths was incorporated into the Ten Commandments as of moral and perpetual obligation. It will be literally true that all the human race will yet be brought to worship God on the return of that holy day.

It was instituted in Paradise; and as one design of the plan of redemption is to bring humanity back to the state in which it was in Paradise, so one effect of the true religion everywhere will be, and is, to make people reverence the Sabbath of the Lord.

No one becomes truly pious who does not love the holy Sabbath. No nation has ever been, or ever can be, converted that does not love and observe that day. Every successful effort to propagate the true religion is a successful effort to extend the practice of observing it; and just as certain as it is that Christianity will be spread around the world, so certain will it be that the Sabbath will be observed in all lands.

Therefore, the time is yet to come when the delightful spectacle will be presented of all the nations of the earth bowing on the return of that day before the living God. The plans of this life will be suspended; toil and care will be laid aside. The sun, as it rolls around the world, will rouse nation after nation to the worship of the true God; and the peace, order, and loveliness of the Christian Sabbath will spread over all the hills and valleys of the world.

Who that loves the human race will not desire that such a time may soon come? Who can wonder that Isaiah, in the close of his prophetic labors, fixed his eye on a scene so full of loveliness, so replete with honor to God, and with goodwill to people?

Shall all flesh - All the human family, all nations—a most unequivocal promise that the true religion will yet prevail around the world.

Come to worship before me - That is, they will assemble for the worship of God in their respective places of devotion.