Isaiah 66:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

God, Who is beyond material existence and ineffable, is not confined to any single location; instead, He embodies space itself, permeating all creation, existing above all, and inherently encompassing everything. It is also noted that He may be referred to as being 'in a place' where His presence is evident through His actions—this location can be termed the place of God. God remains untainted by any mixture yet thoroughly penetrates all things, allowing each one to experience His workings according to their moral and spiritual states. The immaterial is inherently purer than the material, just as righteousness exceeds wickedness. Thus, the place of God is particularly characterized by the fullest experience of His grace and actions.

Heaven stands as His throne, where angels fulfill His will and eternally offer praises to Him, signifying His repose. The earth is described as the footstool of His feet, for it is where He 'dwells with men in the flesh' (Bar. 3:38). The foot of God is identified with His sacred flesh. The church is also recognized as a dwelling for God, as we consecrate it as a holy site to honor Him, offering our supplications within it. Likewise, other spaces where His workings, both corporeal and incorporeal, become apparent are also referred to as the places of God. It is crucial to acknowledge that the Divine nature is indivisible, thus, God is both all and everywhere, existing not in pieces that can be physically divided but wholly within all and overarching all.

The human intellect, through natural reasoning, would never have discovered the answer to this dilemma, regardless of the deep longing for intimate connection with God, the Source of all goodness, were it not for the wisdom of God, which is veiled in mystery, that provided the solution. The infinite God chose to condescend to the level of finite humanity; He came down (not by essence, but by action) from eternity into temporal existence, from omnipresence into a specific location, revealing His presence through gracious signs and deeds, such as the vision of the ladder that Jacob beheld connecting earth and heaven. Thus, the concept of a designated space for God’s presence emerged, and the house of God was established, as Jacob proclaimed: “The Lord is in this place, and I did not know it… This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:16-17:19). Consequently, “the house of God,” through the grace of God, came into being among mankind, initially manifested in the altars, then in the tabernacle of Moses, in the temple of Solomon, and ultimately, richly endowed with grace, in the churches of Christendom.

"What house shall ye build Me?" (Isaiah 66:1) He challenges us, questioning the mindset of those who believe they can sanctify a space by His presence rather than understanding that His holiness transcends any physical location.

Yet, the human spirit tends to be so anchored to the earth that it lacks the capacity to elevate itself to heavenly experiences, while the mind remains clouded, perceiving the clear light of the Lord's presence merely through sensory means, until it can reach a state of pure spiritual contemplation. Hence, God humbles Himself to draw the earthly spirit nearer, educating it to walk in continuous awareness of Him. Our finite and corporeal nature tends to reduce His vast spiritual omnipresence to fleeting sensory phenomena. To maintain this vital union with God, fueled by faith and the innate pull of the divine, humanity seeks out signs of God’s presence, recognizing the traces of His divine acts, and dedicates specific locations to honor His graciousness.

Jacob, upon experiencing the mystery of the divine connection through a dream of a ladder uniting heaven and earth, named his resting place "the house of God" (Gen. 28:19) and henceforth approached it with profound reverence. Similarly, the Tabernacle of Moses was crafted "after the pattern shown ... in the mount" (Ex. 26:30), adorned with the sacred artifacts of the tablets, the manna, and the seer’s rod. The "threshing floor of Ornah" (2 Chronicles 3:1), marked by the appearance of an angel, became the very site of Solomon's temple. Likewise, Christian houses of worship, following ancient tradition, encompass either whole relics or portions of the holy bodies where God revealed His splendor in His saints, and they are constructed to commemorate divine acts or figures who exemplified a gracious union with Him. Therefore, generally speaking, the house of God here on earth is shaped by God’s condescending love towards humanity and humanity’s yearning to draw closer to Him. God grants us the magnificence of His divine presence, while we offer the beauty of our living faith in return. The glory of God sanctifies the space for man, while it is the heartfelt devotion of man that renders it pleasing to God.

Those who beheld the wondrous cloud overshadowing the temple at its consecration, while hearing God’s promise of His heart set upon it, assumed that the Jerusalem temple had become a firm and everlasting abode for the Lord, believing that the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants were sacred by virtue of possessing the holy temple. These misguided yet pious beliefs nurtured wickedness among the people of Israel. They proclaimed that God resided among them in the temple, disregarding the reality of His absence in their actions. Trusting in the sanctity of a physical location, they foolishly took comfort despite their sinful ways, as captured in the prophet Isaiah's words, proclaiming "men filled with sins" who boldly "apply iniquity to iniquity" (Isaiah 1:4-5). When warned of the destructions that their multiplied sins would bring upon them, they either ignored the warnings or responded with anger, clinging to the delusion that the temple’s presence would shield them.

The righteous leaders of the Jewish faith had long forecast this deception, passionately calling it out. Isaiah, referred to by St. Stephen to challenge the misguided hope in the temple, relayed God’s message: “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is the footstool of My feet: what house shall ye build Me? And what is My resting-place...” Additionally, God expresses through Jeremiah, “Do not rely on yourselves in lying words, for they will not use you very much, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord is...’” (Jeremiah 7:4).