Prophecy of Isaiah – Isa 40:1-10 The Glory of the LORD Shall be Revealed, and All Flesh Shall See it Together

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Isa 40:1-10 The Glory of The LORD Shall Be Revealed, and All Flesh Shall See It Together:

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isa 40:6  The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Isa 40:7  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isa 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Isa 40:9  O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

We are all aware that the scriptures are addressed only to those who have been given ears that hear and eyes that see the mysteries of the kingdom of God. They were never intended to be understood by the multitudes who claim the name of Christ and who gather every week in His name:

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them [The “multitudes… gathered unto Him”, vs 2] in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

We are also aware that whatever the Lord desires is what He does and that none of us, and no man, can thwart His will:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

If indeed the Lord does what He desires, then this is what He desires, and this is what He is doing:

Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

If we are those “who first trusted in Christ [then] we have obtained an inheritance [for the very  purpose of] be[ing] to the praise of His glory” as “firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb” and as judges who will be in the first resurrection and will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years preparatory to judging angels in the lake of fire, which is the second death, as these verses make abundantly clear:

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

When will the saints judge “the world” in the outward sense referred to by the apostle Paul in the context of these two verses, which includes the judging of angels? The phrase “the world” tells us that Paul is speaking of outward judgment. This is when that outward judging of the kingdoms of this world will begin:

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel trumpeted. And there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world became our Lord's, even of His Christ; and He shall reign to the ages of the ages.

This is a very general statement which tells us that our reign with Christ will begin at the “seventh” trump of the seventh angel. But Christ wants us to know all that His Father has revealed to Him. Not just the fact that the saints shall judge the world:

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Christ is revealing to us “all things that He has heard of [His] Father”. Do we believe that? Or do we believe that we are nothing special to our Lord? Is a “friend” more special than a ‘servant’ who is not made privy to the activities of his Lord?

It is manifestly evident that the Lord is telling us that we are “special to Him above every nation on the earth”:

Deu 14:2  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar [Hebrew: special] people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

While the vast majority of the Word of God is dedicated to the judgment of the inward kingdom of our old man and the judgment of the outward kingdoms of this world, this section of Isaiah centers around the blessings promised to those who are made to overcome this world and are given “place for repentance”.

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

What wonderful words of comfort are these to ‘the chief of sinners’ who is also ‘the man’ who has done as bad or worse than those who are not yet being judged. Yes, it is we, whom the Lord has chosen, who are the least worthy to be chosen and who are typified by the lowly tax collector in the parable of the two men who go to the temple of the Lord:

Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

This tax collector is not simply a humble man. He is ‘the man’ spoken of by the prophet, Nathan (2Sa 12:1-14). He sees himself as “the basest of men” whom God has placed over the kingdoms of this world (Dan 4:17). This tax collector typifies those who have already come to see themselves as this self-righteous Pharisee, and he counts himself as chief… of sinners” (1Ti 1:15). He has “received of the LORD'S hand double for all (his) sins”, and he is now “at his wits’ end”, crying out for the Lord’s mercy, and the Lord is in the process of comforting him because he has been humbled and given a “place for repentance”.

These words are all about this publican who sees his flesh for what it is, and is not focused on the sins of anyone but himself:

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Look at what we have just read: “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord… Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”.

Contrast these words with the words of Christ with the words of Christ concerning those who do not “die in the Lord… while in [their] flesh”:

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Christ made it clear that this publican had already come to see himself as this self-righteous Pharisee and had repented and had come to see himself as a sinner.

Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Such humility comes only after being humbled by the Lord to the extent of being hated of all men:

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Only from this “hated of all men” position can we become the bearers of the Lord’s words to this lost earth:

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

This is the prophecy John saw as referring to his position of announcing to this world the coming of the Lord:

Joh 1:19  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
Joh 1:20  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Joh 1:21  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Joh 1:22  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
Joh 1:23  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
Joh 1:24  And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

John the Baptist did not realize that he really was a type of the prophesied “prophet Elijah”, but Christ tells us he was:

Mal 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Mat 17:9  And as they [Christ, Peter, James, and John - vs. 1] came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Three men - Peter, James, and John - saw a vision of the transfigured Christ, but the day is coming in which ‘the glory of the Lord’ will be revealed to all flesh, and all flesh will ‘wither and fade because the spirit of the Lord blows upon it’.

Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

“All flesh shall see… the glory of the Lord] together”, but seeing the glory of the Lord requires the death of the flesh, and that is a process which “begins at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). It is this process of judgment and the dying to this world to which Isaiah refers with these words:

Isa 40:6  The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Isa 40:7  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isa 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

“The grass withers… because the spirit of the Lord blows upon it”, and that “spirit [is what] gives life, [and that spirit is] the words which [Christ] has spoken to [us]:

Isaiah’s words were inspired by Christ Himself, so of course they accord with Christ’s own words which also tell us “the flesh profits nothing”:

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth [Greek: gives life]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

It is the flesh which withers and fades, “but the word of our God stands for ever”. Christ amplified these words and expounded on them when He told us:

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

When we read that ‘all these things are near, even at the door’ and ‘this generation shall not pass, till all these things shall be fulfilled’, it becomes evident to all who have eyes that see and ears that hear, that “the abomination of desolation” of verse 15, the “great tribulation” of verse 21, and “the coming of the Son of Man” of verse 27, must “all… be fulfilled [in] “this generation” of verse 34, meaning the generation of “whosoever readeth [and] understands” in verse 15. These “words are spirit” (Joh 6:63) which therefore “shall not pass away” in any generation since the death and resurrection of Christ, Who is the first of the firstfruits.

That the “all things” of Mat 24:32-35 apply to us as God’s elect there can be no doubt, simply because we are plainly told:

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

The “Zion” of our next verse symbolizes both “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” of Revelation 14:4 and the “saviors” of Obadiah 21:

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

These 144,000 are “redeemed from the earth” and are “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb”. These are what Paul calls “those who first trusted in Christ” and have been “blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavens”. Look at all the Lord has revealed to us through the apostle Paul which we can add to our knowledge of what has been given to this most blessed group of men. Let us all “Have respect to the recompense of the reward” (Heb 11:26):

Eph 1:3  Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly things in Christ.
Eph 1:4  Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and unblemished before him in love.
Eph 1:5  Who predestined us for sonship through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the desire of his will,
Eph 1:6  for appreciation of the glory of his grace, by which he blessed us in him who is beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, according to the wealth of his grace,
Eph 1:8  which he abounded for us in all wisdom and intelligence.
Eph 1:9 Having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his desire, which he purposed within himself
Eph 1:10  for an administration of the fullness of the times. To gather together all things in the Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth,
Eph 1:11 in him in whom also we obtained an inheritance. Having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the deliberation of his will.
Eph 1:12. For us to be for appreciation of his glory, men who have first hoped in the Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the good-news of your salvation, in whom also having believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise,
Eph 1:14  which is a pledge of our inheritance for the redemption of the acquired possession, for appreciation of his glory.

Why does the holy spirit use all these personal pronouns if all men are “the first to have trusted in Christ”? Why are we told that we are “to be for the appreciation of His glory” if this blessing is granted to all men at this time? Why are we told that the holy spirit is “a pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession” if there is no order in which mankind is being saved?

The Truth is that all these personal pronouns are used because the holy spirit want us to have “respect unto the recompence of the reward” Christ has in store of His chosen few.

Mat 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

The fact is that we are called “the first to have trusted in Christ” because we are “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb… the first to appreciate His glory”, and we have been given the holy spirit as a pledge of our inheritance of “the resurrection of life”, having been judged “at this present time” (Rom 8:18) and not to take part in the resurrection to judgment, which is “the second death… prepared for the devil and his angels” as well as all “the rest of the dead”, whose names are not in the book of life at the “blessed and holy… first resurrection”:

In Matthew 25 we are told that Gehenna is prepared for the devil and His angels, but in the book of Revelation we learn that “the rest of the dead are also there with the devil and his angels:

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

What a blessing it is to be chosen by Christ to be His friend and to be made to know all His Father has made known to Him!

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

If we are the chosen of Christ to endure to the end, then the good news is that nothing can keep that from happening:

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Being the “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” (Rev 14:4) is for the purpose of “be[ing] the firstborn among many brothers” who will be “born of God” via the work of the firstborn as the judges of both the nations of this world during the thousand year reign and as the judges of angels in the lake of fire (Isa 33:14-15 and 1Co 6:2-3).

Getting back to the good news of our calling, Paul continues here in Romans 8:

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate [to “be the firstborn among many brothers”], them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Just what is the significance of all of that? This is how significant that is:

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

It is hard for us to accept just how special we are to Christ. We are so special that we are told this about how much He identifies with us:

Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Even these words are about those who being judged at this time:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

“In this world” refers to “the day of judgment” which is now on the house of God (1Pe 4:17). It is only “in the days of [our] flesh” that we are “as He is… in this world”, and that is the “day of judgment to which the words “in this world” refers.

The point being made is that these words have no application to those who are destined to be judged in the everlasting burnings of the lake of fire/second death. It is we who are given boldness in the day of judgment… in this world” for the express purpose of judging angels in the everlasting burnings and the devouring fires of the lake of fire:

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly [“in this world”, this age, “in the days of his flesh” - Heb 5:7]; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

It is we who “first trusted in Christ” who “walk righteously and speak uprightly… in the days of [our] flesh” who “are like Christ in this world” and who are given to “dwell with the devouring fire [and] everlasting burnings”.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Let’s return to the blessings of being Zion upon whom Saviors come.  Let’s continue to see just how special to Christ the Lord’s elect are who are given to be in “the blessed and holy first resurrection”:

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Life… death… things present and things to come… are all ours [but they] shall [not] be able to separate us from the love of God” if we are His “in this present time” (verse 18).

We are the “Zion” who brings good tidings both to our “fellow servant[s] who keep the saying of the prophecies of this book”, and we are told to be bold in proclaiming our calling “to be to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:12):

Isa 40:9  O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

This is just another way of telling us the same thing we are told to do in this verse:

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

This and nothing else is what makes all those wonderful words of Isaiah 33, and Romans 8 so very certain:

Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

His work is before Him, and “we are His workmanship”:

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Next week we will see even more of just how special we are to “Him that has called us to glory and virtue”:

1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Here are some of the glorious things to which we are called as the Lord will show us in our next study:

Isa 40:11  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isa 40:12  Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Isa 40:13  Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Isa 40:14  With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
Isa 40:15  Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
Isa 40:16  And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
Isa 40:17  All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
Isa 40:18  To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Isa 40:19  The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
Isa 40:20  He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

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