Isaiah For Today #8
Punishment but Mercy and Restoration
Chapter 30 - 33 CHAPTER 30 The prophecy once more shifts back to Israel (all or part of) before they are punished in captivity. They are called "rebellious children" and that they add sin to sin (verse 1). Certainly that is where the modern people of Israel are today. We in the Western world are ever being rebellious to the Word of the Lord, and our sins get more and more each day and month and year that passes. We will in the future, at least part of Israel will, try to take strength in Egypt, but it will be our shame and confusion. Back in the 1960s and 70s it was so, and that led some to believe prophecy was coming to its close and the end of the age would be soon upon us. Egypt back then was in the news just about every week it seemed, from what I remember. Egypt right now is seldom in the news. This just goes to show how God can SLOW things down if He so desires. Before the end of this age can come, Egypt will need to rise to mighty power and influence once more, leading a coalition of Arab nations, forming the "king of the south" of Daniel 11:40-45). But whatever help Israel is looking for from Egypt it will not be there, their strength for Israel will sit still (verses 2- 7). As I edit this in 2011, Egypt has freed itself from dic- tatorship and can now move forward in time to become the spear- head of a united Arab group of nations, called in the book of Daniel "the king of the south" - see Daniel 11:40-45. Isaiah is now told to WRITE in a book (verse 8)...for what purpose, ah we are told ... "... that it may be FOR THE TIME TO COME, FOR EVER AND EVER." Yes, prophecy often REPEATS itself!! The people of Israel - the Western world in the main, are a lying people, rebellious people, people that WILL NOT HEAR THE LAW of the Lord! Our peoples do not want the true prophets of the Eternal to sound their massage of truth. They want to hear sweet and smooth things, they want to hear deceits. They do not want to hear what the Holy One of Israel declares. So, because you despise the word of the Holy One, and want perverseness instead, so the breach in the dam you've built against God, will smash and the whole flood of destruction shall come upon you suddenly. It will be like the breaking of a potter's vessel to you; the Lord will not spare, and no one will be found to deliver you (verses 8-14). It is only in RETURNING to deep REPENTANCE, that you Israel will find REST! But you would not. God has sent His servants to call you to repentance, but you would not. You said, no, we will not, we will flee from it as upon horses, ride upon the swift of the earth, put our trust in man. So, it will be that they who pursue you for to destroy you, will be swift! When it comes to pass, one thousand of you shall flee at one, at the rebuke of five you shall flee. It will all take place until you will be a sign only to those who pass by. They will see where you were, mighty and great, but you will be like a sign of "So they were once upon a time, the mighty of the earth, but that is history now" (verses 15-17). Yet, all is not lost, as come punishment and destruction, so comes mercy and healing. The Lord will be patient, He will be still gracious to you, so have mercy on you. The people of Israel if dwelling in Zion and in Jerusalem, and shall weep no more. The Eternal will hear the voice of your cry, and when He hears it, He will answer you. Though the Lord will give you the bread of affliction and adversity, yet your teachers will not be in a corner, but you will see your teachers, very upfront, in a personal way. And one day your ears shall hear a voice behind you saying, "THIS IS THE WAY, WALK YOU IN IT, when you move to the right or left hand." It will not be some words on a screen like this website on the Internet. Most of your true teachers today are unknown to you, they are not popular. But one day you will know your teachers in a very real way, for Jesus will return and the saints of all ages will rise in a resurrection to rule all nations under Christ. You, Israel and Judah will be rescued from your enemies, and will inherit the Promised Land in fullness as God has promised. The saints resurrected will be your teachers and will be there when you may want to do wrong, and will correct you with words of truth, "This is the way, walk you in it!" You will then cast away all your false images of religion and self-willed rebellion. You will tell them to "get lost" - you will finally see your sins and wrong ways and will want to throw them all away! It will be the day of good increase for the farmers of Israel, there will be fat and plenteous harvests, the cattle feeding in large pastures. Good feed will be for the herds of cattle, with rivers and streams of water coming from the hills. This will all come to pass in the time period when "the slaughter, when the towers fall." It is the time period of the end of this age, the prophecies of the book of Revelation are coming to pass, and when the earth reaches the "age to come" as the apostle Paul once called it; the time of the transition from the end of this age to the fruitfulness of the age to come. It will be the time when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun as seven-fold more, as the light of seven days rolled up into one, it is the time when God binds up the breach of His people, answers their cry, and heals them from desolation and captivity (verses 18-26). Such as the moon being like the sun and the sun being 7 times stronger has never happened since Isaiah wrote this prophecy. It is indeed for the time at the end of this age. He wrote it down for a time yet to come. Now the prophecy of Isaiah moves to the punishment of the great Assyrian Empire, the German led confederacy of Europe, the last resurrected Holy Roman Empire. God will punish those He used to punish His people Israel and Judah. The Lord will raise His voice, the power of His arm shall come and the German led United Europe Beast power shall fall. He who smote will be smitten (verses 27-33). CHAPTER 31 Again God gives warning to those who will put their trust in Egypt. The "king of the south" of Daniel 11:40 and the nations confederate with Egypt shall not succeed in their might. The Almighty says Egypt is not God, but mere men. All will fall in due time and according to the purpose of the Holy One (verses 1- 3). The Lord will come down to fight for Zion. Not all is lost for Jerusalem and Israel. God will deliver Jerusalem. Isaiah tells people to TURN to Him from whom the children of Israel have revolted, for the day comes when people will throw away their idols of silver and gold, whatever sin they have made for themselves. The Assyrian (Germany) will flee and fall by the sword. The Lord will be as a fire in the furnace at Jerusalem and Zion. It will be the time of the end of this age, and the Lord comes as a mighty fighting warrior (verses 4-9). CHAPTER 32 It is the time when a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgement. It is the time of Jesus' return and the resurrection of the saints. Those with this King shall be as rivers of water in the desert. Eyes shall indeed see, and ears shall indeed hear, the true ways of life. The heart of people shall understand true knowledge, and those who stammer at speaking truth shall talk clearly. The vile person shall no more be called "liberal" - "Oh, it's just his way to live" - "All should be free to do as they desire." The vile person will no more "churl" or mix his sin is all kinds of ways, to utter error against the Lord. The vile churlings are evil, from evil persons who destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy are in the right attitude. The "liberal" shall fall in his liberal ways. Justice from God will come. We have seem in the year 2008 the many who devised cunning craftiness with "house mortgages" and how the poor and average citizen in the USA was led to buy and then later loose their homes through the lies of the vile money schemers. Such are the ways of many vile persons as they take advantage of the poor with lying words (verses 1-8). God gives warning to the mothers of Israel. To those who bear children and are looking for the "good life to continue" - but the day comes when thorns and briers, will come upon all the houses of joy in all the cities. Sin will need to be corrected and the children of the land will suffer. The time will come as when Jesus said that women will wish they had never born children and never gave suck to their babies. Those words are recorded as you read Matthew 24; Mark 13; and Luke 21. The time will come when the towns and cities will be forsaken, when the wild beasts will live in them. It will all happen UNTIL the Spirit is poured out from on high, until the wilderness again becomes fruitful and the fruitful as a forest. Then, in the new age to come, judgment will be in the wilderness and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness shall be quietness and assurance for ever. Then God's people Israel will dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. It will be a time for blessings from the sky and from the land, for man and for the cattle of the land (verses 9-20). There is another way to understand these last verses in this chapter. I quote from the Amplified Bible, verses 19 and 20. "But it (the wrath of the Lord) shall hail, coming down overpoweringly on the forest (the arm of the Assyrians), and the capital city shall be utterly humbled and laid prostrate. Happy and fortunate are you who cast your seed upon all waters (when the river overflows its bank; for the seed will sink into the mud and when the waters subside, the plant will spring up; you will find it after many days and reap an abundant harvest), you will safely send forth the ox and the donkey (to range freely)." It will be the time to destroy the mighty German led Europe of the Babylon Mystery Religion, and restore the people of Israel to their Promised Land with the blessings of the millennium reign of Christ on earth. CHAPTER 33 The treacherous destroyer of the last Holy Roman Empire, will also be dealt with in like manner. As Jesus said, those who live by the sword shall die by the sword (verse 1). Then we have a PRAYER - a PRAISE for the salvation that God will bring to Zion and Jerusalem. At the lifting up of God's arm the nations were scattered. He will yet fill Zion with judgment and righteousness. Wisdom and knowledge shall be present, strength and salvation; and the fear of the Lord is the treasure (verses 2-6). Yet before all that comes, there must be destruction and judgment upon the sinners of mankind. The valiant will cry, the peace (earthy man-made peace) will weep, for God will rise and punish those who are destroying the earth. There will need be destruction from the Lord before the new age can arrive (verses 7-9). The Lord will arise and will punish. Who will be able to stand when God judges the earth? It is he who walks righteously, and speaks uprightly, it is he who will not be taken in by the ways and sins of this world, who will shut his eyes from evil. It is this person who shall dwell on high with the Eternal God. This righteous person will see THE KING in all His beauty, and dwell in a land that is now far off. This person shall one day see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down, a place of solid rock, for THE ROCK of ages will be there - Jesus shall come again to Zion and Jerusalem. The glorious Lord shall be as a place of broad rivers and streams. It will be the time and age for the Lord to be judge and be the lawgiver; to be KING to His people; to SAVE Israel. It will be a time when the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the Promised land shall not say, "I am sick." For the people then dwelling there shall be FORGIVEN THEIR INIQUITY! (verses 10-24). Oh yes, beyond all the time of trouble and punishment to come on the people of Israel and Judah and the whole world, there is a bright day promised. A day and age of FORGIVENESS and HEALING and JOY and SALVATION and PEACE, for all Israel and for all nations of the earth, as Jesus our Lord shall come and bring the Kingdom of God to earth. So Lord may your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. .................. To be continued Entered on my Website June 2008 |
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