Prophecy of Isaiah – Isa 66:1-6 Your Brothers That Hated You…Shall be Ashamed

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Isa 66:1-6 Your Brothers That Hated You… Shall Be Ashamed

[Study Aired October 18, 2020]

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Isa 66:3  He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
Isa 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
Isa 66:5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
Isa 66:6  A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

These last two chapters of Isaiah give great emphasis to the doctrine of Christ that many are called, but few of those “many… called” are chosen to be His “very elect”.

Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders [The “many called”]; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Here is how Christ presents this doctrine to us:

Mat 22:1  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Mat 22:7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Mat 22:8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Mat 22:9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests [our judgment in “this present time”, Rom 8:18 and 1Pe 4:17], 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 [The garment is the doctrine and works of Christ… “…with such an one know not to eat” (1Co 5:11 and 2Jo 1:10-11)].
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Notice that “them that were bidden made light of it”. This is most people to whom the “blessed and holy first resurrection” is like Esau’s birthright to them. It is not presently tangible, and satisfying the lusts of the flesh and fitting in with this world, is just far more attractive to them than a far-off promise of greatness… “They made light of it” and no doubt considered it to be something that was common to all men. But the first resurrection, which is “the marriage supper of the Lamb” is not at all common to all men. Life is common to all men, but being judged in this present time is not common to all men

Gen 25:31  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
Gen 25:32  And Esau said, Behold, am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Gen 25:33  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Gen 25:34  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright

Look very closely at these words… “I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” When we get weary in well doing and say… ‘This calling is just to hard to bear… I don’t really care whether I am in the first or second resurrection…’ we have just “despised our birthright” and sold it for nothing more than temporary relief from a judgment we will still have to endure at a later time in the judgment which will indeed be “common to all men”.

1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Compare the words of this parable of the wedding supper for the King’s Son to these words of Isaiah 65:

Isa 65:1  I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
Isa 65:2  I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
Isa 65:3  A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick [Their own doctrines and their own works];
Isa 65:4  Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
Isa 65:5  Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
Isa 65:6  Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
Isa 65:7  Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom [What we sow is what we reap (Gal 6:7)].

Being hopelessly lost in our sins is common to both the many called and the few chosen. What is not common to both groups is being the “few… chosen… who first trusted in Christ” and who are the first to be judged “in this present time”:

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
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.

“We… who first trusted in Christ” are the Lord’s elect to whom this 65th chapter of Isaiah is addressed:

Isa 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

The preeminence of His elect is emphasized again in:

Isa 65:21  And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Isa 65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
Isa 65:23  They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
Isa 65:24  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Isa 65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

To whom do all these references to ‘they’ and ‘their’ in these five verses refer? They one and all refer to the few chosen to be “the first to trust in Christ”. They all refer to “mine elect” who now possess the kingdom inwardly as “the earnest of the promised possession” (Eph 1:14) and will possess it outwardly as well during the thousand-year reign.

Knowing how closely Christ identifies with His body, notice how similar these words of Isaiah 65 are to the words of Isaiah 11:

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Isa 11:10  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Isa 11:11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Here is Christ’s version of this same prophecy:

Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

“The remnant of [the Lord’s] people” are His “few chosen”, His “elect” of Isaiah 65 verses 9 and 22:

Isa 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

Isa 65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

Chapters 11 and 65 are both speaking of the time of “my holy mountain”, a time when no beast of the earth will hurt anyone within “my holy mountain”:

Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Isa 65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

“[The beasts] shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain” is speaking specifically of the time of “the kingdom of God” which is “within [us] at this time, which will also “rule the outward nations at the appointed time. It is the same ‘kingdom with [us]’ Christ came to proclaim:

Mat 4:23  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Mat 9:35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

The kingdom of God which Christ is first proclaiming here is:

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Once again, it is first “the kingdom of God [which] is within you” that is first proclaimed here in Isaiah:

Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Isa 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

Isa 65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

It is these chosen few of whom Christ is speaking when He speaks of “entering into life”:

Mat 18:9  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Mar 9:45  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

“All… in Adam… shall… be made alive [in] the end”, but when Christ speaks of “enter[ing] into life”,  Mark 5:47 reveals He is referring particularly to the “few… chosen [of] the first resurrection… the resurrection to life… [those] enter[ing] into the kingdom of God”, which ‘kingdom’ precedes “the resurrection to damnation” (Greek: krisis, judgment):

Mar 9:47  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth [“each in his own order” (1Co 15: 23) first]; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and [then over a thousand years later] they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [Greek: krisis, judgment).

It is those in the “blessed and holy first resurrection” who will inherit that “kingdom”. That kingdom comes down to mankind out of heaven, uniting the new earth with the new heavens:

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.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

There is a future “redemption of the purchased possession”, nevertheless “the earnest of our inheritance” has already been fully paid, and we who have been given the holy spirit of promise are already “seated together with Christ in the heavens”:

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
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.

What is so revealing about these verses is that the phrases “we were dead in sins” and “in the ages to come” are both in the Greek present tense. “Hath quickened us together with Christ [and] hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in the heavens in Christ” are both in the Greek aorist tense.

In other words, we are at this very moment in the process of being given life, and together with Christ we are being made to sit together in the heavens in Christ. We are those “heavens” into which “Christ [has] entered… heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us”.

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

That is the “heaven” and the “earth” of the first two verses of this last chapter of Isaiah:

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Way back here in the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah, Christ answers His own rhetorical question in very clear words:

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look [as “the place of My rest”], even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Those who know that Christ’s death and resurrection were expedient before the holy spirit could be given, will know these words are a prophecy of the sacrificial death of our Lord and His Christ for the sins of this world.

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

This is the Lord’s assessment of failing to understand the efficacy of His sacrifice:

Isa 66:3  He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

“They have chosen their own ways” refers to what was just stated. They have chosen to replace the sacrifice of Christ with their own works and doctrines. The sacrifice of an ox, a lamb, the offering of an oblation, the burning of incense, one and all represent the works of our own hands. “idols of [our] hearts” (Eze 14:1-9). The physical Old Testament sacrifices were outward actions which are types of our own self-righteousness and doctrines and the rejection of the sacrifice of our Lord and His doctrines and His Christ. Nevertheless, we do those ‘good works’ “in His name” and therefore we think He should accept our works instead of His works. We are so convinced of our own righteousness ‘in His name’ that Christ tells us what we say to Him when we are being judged:

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

These words certainly apply to many who will be in the great white throne judgment, but they also apply to each of the Lord’s elect who all come out of Babylon. It is while we are there in Babylon that we are taught so many false doctrines, including the lie that the single most important factor in bringing us to Christ is our own fabled ‘free will’.

That false doctrine of mankind being given a will that is free of the will of God, and free from any influence of God, is one of many lying prophecies which are prophesied in Christ’s name, and which are used by the Lord Himself to deceive us:

Eze 14:9  And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Many demons have indeed been cast out of us just to be replaced by seven demons worse than the one that was cast out:

Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Luk 11:24  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
Luk 11:25  And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Luk 11:26  Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Many evil spirits of alcoholism, pornography, gambling, etc. are indeed cast out of many in Babylon. However, “swept and garnished” is not to be mistaken for bring “rooted and grounded” in the Truth. ‘Swept and garnished’ is not the same as being obedient and being filled with the fear of God and the love of God. Christ’s own disciples healed the sick and cast out devils long before they were even converted:

Luk 10:8  And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
Luk 10:9  And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Luk 10:17  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

After three and one-half years of being Christ’s disciple, Christ said these words to Peter the night of His apprehension of the Jews:

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Luk 22:33  And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Luk 22:34  And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

It is possible to be given the power to cast out devils and false doctrines in others and still hear the words, “I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity.” That is why the Lord told the seventy disciples:

Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

It is our own old man who first places more value and more store in the doctrines of men, rather than the Truths of the scriptures. It is our own old man who places miracles and signs and wonders above obedience and fidelity to the Words and doctrines of Christ. It is first and primarily to our own old man that these words are written:

Isa 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

The Lord chose to delude me first with the deceptions of the Pentecostal churches. Then He chose to take me from under the law of the Gentiles and He placed me under the false doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God and under the deeper delusion of the law of Moses. From that delusion He took me into the even more insidious delusion of the Concordant Publishing Concern Bible Conferences, teaching that we are under no law at all. The Lord chose my delusions.

When the Lord speaks, we do not hear unless He makes us to hear. He can even take the ‘hearing’ and the ‘light’ we had away from us, and we simply cannot hear words like, “In the multitude of counsellors there is safety” and “Tell it to the church.”

Now notice how the holy spirit changes the subject from our old man to our new man, with absolutely no segue:

Isa 66:5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

“Your joy” is the joy of “Christ in [us] the hope of glory” (Co 1:27) and “they shall be ashamed” refers to our own “old man… the first man Adam”. It is Christ in us who values our birthright and wants more than life itself to be with Him in His kingdom. It is Christ in us who “trembles at His Word [and] works out His own salvation with fear and trembling” (Php 3:11-12):

Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery [G3466: ‘musterion’, secret] which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

“The dispensation of God which is given to [Paul] for [us] to fulfil the word of God” is the same dispensation given to each of us to “fill up in [our] bod[ies] that which is behind of the afflictions of the Christ for His body’s sake, which [body] is the church.”

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

It is very few to whom it has been made known that Christ did not die as our “substitute”.  Oh, yes, He did indeed die for our sins. That is a scriptural truth:

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Now let me ask you… Where in that verse of scripture, or anywhere else in the Bible do you find the word ‘substitute’? Of course, the Truth is that it is not there because “Christ died for us” does not say, “Christ died in our stead, so we need not die.” If you teach that Christ died as a substitutionary atonement, in your stead so you would not have to die, you would be directly contradicting this, and so many other verses of scripture, which speak of being “dead with Christ (Rom 6:1-4), presenting your body a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), [being] crucified with Christ…” and this verse of scripture:

Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

What is it that we “suffer for His sake”?

Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Part of “the dispensation of God which is given to [us] for [us], to fulfil the word of God;” is also this:

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.

Those “few chosen” who will be in that “blessed and holy first resurrection” and will rule and reign with Christ a thousand years will not be the faint of heart. They will be equipped, through the trials of this life, to “render recompence to [their] enemies” and the enemies of Christ.

Isa 66:6  A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

Just look at how merciless Christ is to our old man in this age.

Joh 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease.

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

That is just how merciless we will be to the rebels of the thousand-year reign, as well as the carnal minds of those who will come up before us in the great white throne judgment. There will be no need for physical violence because, just as the Lord is now slaying our old man, so will we deal with the wicked:

Isa 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Our severe trials of this life and of this age are in the process of destroying our old man, and that experience is preparing our hearts to be equally merciless to the carnal minds of all the rest of mankind at their appointed times.

This 66th chapter is the last chapter of Isaiah. The theme of this book is expressed clearly in this New Testament verse:

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Here are a couple of examples of how this comforting and encouraging theme is expressed in this prophecy of Isaiah. It is to be found right here along with the secondary theme of this prophecy:

Isa 10:27  And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Isa 41:13  For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Isa 41:14  Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

This is the same promise Christ makes to us in the New Testament:

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

The next two verses of Isaiah 41 are also the secondary sub-theme of this prophecy, which we will see is also a theme we will find in the next prophecy of scripture, the prophecy of Jeremiah, which we will begin after we finish this last chapter of Isaiah.

Here is that secondary sub-theme of this prophecy of Isaiah. It is expressed in the very next verses of Isaiah 41:

Isa 41:15  Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

Isa 41:16  Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Lord willing, we will be the kings and priests who will be judging this world with Christ in the “first… resurrection to life” (Joh 5:27-29, Rev 20:1-6). As kings and priests we will be the judges of the nations of this earth, “a new sharp threshing instrument” for the subjection of the carnal mind during the time when “the kingdoms of this world will be the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ” (Rev 11:15), and beyond that time right over into the great white throne judgment (Rev 20:11-12).

Here now are the verses for our next study:

Isa 66:7  Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
Isa 66:8  Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Isa 66:9  Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
Isa 66:10  Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

Isa 66:11  That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
Isa 66:12  For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.
Isa 66:13  As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
Isa 66:14  And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

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