Prophecy of Isaiah – Part 7, Isa 1:21-26

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.



Isa 1:21-26 - How Is The Faithful City Become An Harlot!

Isa 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
Isa 1:22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
Isa 1:23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
Isa 1:26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

We have already demonstrated how the first verse of this study (vs 21), reveals how God's own wife has been seduced to become "an harlot". We saw how it is this verse which gives Revelation 17 and 18 its power and its force in bringing us to understand who this 'harlot' is, this 'whore' within each of us when we talk with, socialize with, and in time place the words of men above the words of our own husband. "How is the great city become an harlot???"

The apostle John was inspired of the holy spirit to take these very words to describe what had happened to the seven churches of Asia in his day:

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Rev 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

Isaiah wonders:

Isa 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Isaiah wonders how it is possible for a woman who knows and loves her husband one day, to suddenly turn her back on her own faithful husband and become "an harlot" who despises her faithful husband. [Just yesterday] it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers". John was well versed in the words of the prophet Isaiah, and John also wondered how it was possible that the very church Christ had come to establish could do the same thing::

Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Christ's own churches, the seven churches of Asia, 'seven' symbolizing the completion of the apostasy of the very "murderers... drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the martyrs of Jesus", makes Christ's elect, symbolized by John, wonder how this apostasy could flourish so quickly and so thoroughly.

Many believe Revelation 17 and 18 refer only to Catholics who killed so many Protestants. Others think those two chapters refer to the Pharisees and Jews who hated and rejected Christ. But this book of Revelation is not addressed to Catholics or to Jews who rejected Christ. This book is addressed to "the seven churches". More specifically the book of Revelation is addressed to those who 'have an ear to hear what the spirit says to the seven churches of Asia'.

This statement is repeated seven times in the second and third chapters of Revelation... 'he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the seven churches'.

Our Lord chose the apostle Paul to tell us how this apostasy happened so quickly and so thoroughly. This is what we know from the apostles of our Lord about the churches of Asia:

2Ti 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

And this is what the other apostles thought of the apostle Paul:

2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Look at where Peter makes the point of telling us that Paul's epistles are equated with "the other scriptures". It is immediately after telling us this in the previous chapter:

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
2Pe 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
2Pe 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
2Pe 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
2Pe 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Secondly, the book of Timothy is one of Paul's prison epistles. In the last chapter of this same epistle Paul gives us a few more of the details of those in Asia who forsook him and a few more details about how the great harlot got her start in the new Christian church by placing "Satan's throne" right in the midst of the seven churches of Asia. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus a city in Asia, and this is what he tells us from his imprisonment about what happened there in Ephesus:

2Ti 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2Ti 4:15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2Ti 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men [in Asia] forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
2Ti 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Pergamos was also a church in Asia, and this is what we are told was taking place in Pergamos:

Rev 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwell, where Satan's throne is. And thou hold firm my name, and did not deny my faith in the days in which Antipas was my faithful witness, who was killed among you where Satan dwells.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou have there men who adhere to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a snare before the sons of Israel, even to eat idol sacrifices, and to fornicate.
Rev 2:15 So also thou have men who likewise adhere to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Rev 2:16 Repent therefore, and if not I come to thee quickly, and will war against them with the sword of my mouth.

Warring against "men who adhere to the teaching of Balaam, who... cast a [spiritual] snare before the sons of Israel, even to eat idol [of the heart spiritual] sacrifices... also... men who adhere to the teaching of the Nicolaitans" is exactly what we are doing at this very moment "with the sword of [Christ's] mouth".

But this apostasy was brewing much earlier, and like Judas himself, the apostasy of the church was coming from within "the seven churches" themselves. It was not Jews who were not believers. Paul knew who were his enemies and he warned Timothy of these men in his first epistle.

This was the doctrine of those who were out to discredit Paul and therefore Christ Himself. This epistle was written before Paul was imprisoned in Rome and the apostasy of the church had already begun:

1Ti 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
1Ti 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
1Ti 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Why would Paul be compelled to mention "endless genealogies"? He mentioned 'endless genealogies' because those who are under the law of Moses consider genealogy to be of utmost importance. To this day, Messianic Jewish christians refer to physical Jews as God chosen people. For that matter, so do most Protestant and Catholic christians who are completely unaware of these verses of scripture:

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Just how much value does the holy spirit place upon one's physical pedigree?

Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Php 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

The righteousness of the law of Moses was not "through the faith of Christ" but was rather "our [own] righteousness", because it was not through the spirit and of the heart.

Deu 6:25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

Which "commandment is charity out of a pure heart"? Here is Paul's own answer:

Tit 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

Heb 7:18 For there is verily a disannulling of the [Mosaic] commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

For those who are just learning to recognize the voice of the True Shepherd, another apostle verifies that Paul is "of the same mind" as the mind of "our Savior":

2Pe 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

It is not Paul, but Peter, who tells us that all of Paul's epistles are "as.. the other scriptures:

Just a few verses later Paul is compelled to name names:

1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Here we have the names of the men who withstood Paul. Here they are in the order in which we are given their names: Hymenaeus and Alexander (1Ti 1:19-20), Phygellus and Hermogenes (2Ti 1:15) and Alexander the coppersmith (2Ti 4:14). The name 'Alexander' was very common in the Greek world, and the fact that "the coppersmith" is added in this second epistle suggests that this is not the same Alexander of the first epistle to Timothy.

This is the very same theme Paul was dealing with when writing the epistles to the Romans and the Corinthians, the Galatians and the Thessalonians. Look at these three verses to see what Paul was confronting:

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

1Ti 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

From the days of Isaiah and before, God's true ministers have been called false prophets. They were always hated by those who claimed to be righteous through the law. Paul himself started out as just such a person.

Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Php 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

It seems impossible that anyone could take these verses and make them say that Paul took pride in being a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin. The Lord Himself has blinded them from seeing that Paul considered all physical pedigree, as well as being a Pharisee, as nothing more than a pile of dung. But that is exactly what those who hate the doctrine of Christ do, just as our Lord told us they would:

Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Luk 6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Luk 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

It is a truly sad day when "a codex which precedes the Bible" is used as proof that the apostle Paul is really Appolonius, which is stretched to equate to the son of the Sun God Apollos, and then made to somehow connect the apostle Paul with the Freemasons! All based on "a codex which precedes the Bible", and that is a quote from a link submitted by a detractor of the apostle Paul. According to our Lord Himself the apostle Paul is a truly blessed man simply because it was Christ Himself who said:
Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

Speaking directly to the great city within us which has so quickly and so thoroughly "become an harlot", the spirit tells us:

Isa 1:22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
Isa 1:23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Just as the 'giants in the land' symbolize the passions of our flesh, so are the false doctrines and false teachings which occupy our minds likened unto "rebellious... princes, and companions of thieves" who rob us of the fruit of our labors in our Lord's service. "An harlot" can hardly expect to be given the favors her husband would just naturally want to shower upon her. As little appreciated as it is, the scriptures teach that we must all reap what we sow.

Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Now let's be very analytical about what it means to "sow to the spirit". This is what Christ tells us about His Words:

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

Christ's "words are spirit". Therefore His "sayings" are spirit", and it is not those who read His sayings who are building their house on Him, the rock, it is only those who are doing "His sayings" and who "keep the things [He] says":

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

But let's not forget what the holy spirit inspired Peter to tell us about what the holy spirit considers all of Paul's epistles to be, and I repeat:

2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Mat 7:29 tells us Christ's words are authoritative spiritual words. They are not spoken with any hesitation, and Christ and all who speak His words with authority "[will] be hated of all men".

But be aware that when you speak the "many things" which Christ revealed through the apostle Paul, which Christ's own disciples could not bear at the time of His crucifixion, then like Christ Himself, you and I will also be "hated of all men":

Joh 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

But didn't Christ guide His apostles into all truth while He was here on the earth in an earthen vessel? The obvious answer to that is that He did not reveal the "many things [which His disciples could] not bear now"!

John 16:12-13 is pivotal to demonstrating the fallacy of the spirit of "[we] will neither eat nor drink till we have killed Paul".

Act 23:12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

The holy spirit which was to "guide you into all Truth" did not come to men until 50 days after Christ's resurrection. Therefore the anti-Paul doctrine which teaches that Christ delivered the entire message of His gospel while He was here on this earth in a body of flesh and bone, is manifestly not what Christ Himself taught. Rather Christ taught that He had "many things" to reveal to his disciples which would not be done until after "the spirit of Truth is come", that is sometime after the day of Pentecost. As it turned out, Peter's visit to the house of Cornelius, demonstrating that the holy spirit was being given to the uncircumcised Gentiles, was revealed several years after Christ's resurrection. The revelation that the Gentiles did not even need "to be circumcised, and to keep the law of Moses" was not settled until several more years at the conference in Jerusalem in Acts 15.

Act 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

But that truth first uttered by Peter in Acts 15, stating that "there [was] no difference between [the Gentiles and the Jews]" but both are being saved by grace through the faith of Jesus Christ and that not even the Jews needed to be circumcised, was not to be revealed until Paul was in prison in Rome, where this great revelation was given him:

Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Here is that "middle wall of partition between [the Gentiles and the Jews]":

Act 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
Act 15:25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Act 15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 15:27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Here are James and all the elders at Jerusalem calling Paul "our beloved brother... Paul, and confirming that the Gentiles who were called to know Christ need not "be circumcised and keep the law". He goes to such lengths to proclaim "we gave no such commandment", but it was not, at that time, agreed that the Jews no longer were required to be circumcised and to keep the law. Rather, it was agreed that while the Gentiles need not keep the law of Moses, yet concerning the Jews, "Moses is taught every sabbath in the synagogues:

Act 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

The twelve apostles all agreed that they and all Jews must yet "be circumcised and keep the law". This is made crystal clear when many years later this agreement which was made in Acts 15 is reiterated by James in Jerusalem just before Paul is apprehended by the Jews, resulting in his Roman imprisonment where the epistles of Ephesians and Colossians were written revealing "many things" which Christ's apostles could not bear when He was crucified, which they could still not bear when Peter went into Cornelius's home, which the apostles still could not bear when they wrote that letter to the believing Gentiles in Acts 15, and which they still could not bear many years later when Paul had gone up to Jerusalem and was again told this:

Act 21:18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
Act 21:19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
Act 21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law [of Moses]:
Act 21:21 And they are [falsely] informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
Act 21:22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
Act 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Act 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Act 21:25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. [Acts 15]
Act 21:26 Then Paul [because he still "walked orderly and [was still] keeping the law" of Moses] took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

Just as it was Jews which believed on Christ, along with Herod and Pilate, the priests and the multitudes who wanted Him dead, so it was believing Christians, Jews who "[were] zealous of the law" who believed the lie that Paul was teaching the Jews among the Gentiles to break the law of Moses. Many Christians believe that Paul taught the Jews which were among the Gentiles that they did not need to circumcise their children, nor to keep the law of Moses, to this day. So it was believing Jews, along with the multitudes and the priests who once again wanted Christ in Paul dead.

That lying spirit is still very much alive today, but the Lord defended His word in that day, and He is doing so today with His authoritative spiritual words, and all who oppose His words have thrown in their lot with "the great city [which has] become a [spiritually murderous] harlot", and this is all they can now expect:

Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

These words are just telling us that we will indeed reap what we have sown, and anything that can be burned up will be burned up, including the dross and the tin.

Here is how the apostle Paul expresses this same concept:

1Co 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Our study today ends with this same positive outcome for "every man":

Isa 1:26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

The "fiery trials" (1Pe 4:12) are undeniably "fiery", and at the time they are being endured, they seem to last an eternity, but the purified product will prove to be worth enduring the most severe most fiery trial.

Other related posts