[Study Aired October 25, 2020]

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.

The first two verses of our study today are typical of how scripture is deliberately written in such a way as to cause our rebellious carnal mind to reject it and to say it contradicts itself:

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isa 28:11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Isa 28:13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

“That they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken… to be destroyed.” That has been the fate of our old man since “before the world began”:

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

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.
2Pe 2:11  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

It is manifested that these verses are contrasting “the godly” with “the unjust”. Nevertheless, a line upon line application of the scriptures reveals that we are all first “ungodly” by physical birth and by nature, before Christ comes into our lives:

Rom 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Now that we are reminded of how scripture is meant to be used, let’s examine these first two verses of our 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.

Verse 7 tells us that Zion brought forth “before she travailed and “before her pain came she was delivered of a manchild”.

The very next verse says. “As soon as Zion travailed she brought for her children.” So did they come forth ”before her pain came” or did they come forth “as soon as Zion travailed”?

In scriptural terms, the answer is both. It is both in the same sense that Israel’s enemies were defeated before they ever fought a battle, and yet they had to fight the battle before their enemies could be defeated:

Deu 2:24  Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.

It is already accomplished from the Lord’s perspective, so now “begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle:

Isa 66:7  Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

Therefore… “for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children”.

It is only “through much tribulation [that] we must enter into the kingdom of God”, but if and when we do endure “much tribulation” the fact of the matter is that it was all accomplished “before the world began”, just as Christ is proclaimed to have been “slain from the foundation of the world”:

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.

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Who is this “manchild” who is brought forth by Zion? Is this manchild Christ? The answer is, yes, but it is Christ in the sense that He says it is Him, and this is that sense:

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

So this “manchild” is born of the church which Christ founded, and that is why in the book of “things that must shortly come to  pass” (Rev 1:1), we read of the birth of a manchild who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron:

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Rev 12:1  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Rev 12:2  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

This promise of rulership is given only to those who are “given part in [that] blessed and holy first resurrection. Therefore it follows that this ‘manchild’ who “must shortly come” is the Lord’s elect, His own Body, which is to rule and reign with Him with a rod of iron for a thousand years:

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he [“that overcometh”] shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

That is just how much Christ identifies with His body, which we are if indeed He is living His life within us. It is He who is the power behind our throne and our rule. This is what we do in His stead “as [His] Father has sent [Him]:

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you [to rule the nations with a rod of iron and to save the world (Joh 3:17)].

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

When Christ says “He that overcomes shall rule the nations with a rod of iron”, He certainly is not excluding Himself, because we are told explicitly:

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17  Then we [overcomers, Rev 2:27] which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord [“ruling the nations with a rod of iron” (Rev 2:27)].
1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

With all of this in mind the Lord poses a question the answer to which is beyond obvious:

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.

This is characteristic of how the Lord speaks to us. He poses many questions, the answers to which are incontrovertibly obvious, as in:

Amo 3:3  Can two walk together, except they be agreed? [The obvious answer is, No!]
Amo 3:4  Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? [No!] will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? [No!]
Amo 3:5  Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? [No!] shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?  [No!]
Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? [No!] shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? [Contrary to all orthodox Christian doctrine, the answer again is, a resounding No!]

Those who are given to know that “all things are of God [who] makes… even the wicked for the day of evil (Isa 45:7, Pro 16:4, Rom 11:36, 1Co 8:6) will:

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:

This is the ‘Jerusalem’ which is under discussion:

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.

This is the ‘Jerusalem’ which is not under consideration here in Isaiah 66:10:

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.

It is to the children of “Jerusalem which is above” that this prophecy is addressed:

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.

We all begin our relationship as “carnal babes in Christ”:

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

In the Lord’s appointed time we grow until we are weaned from “the milk of [His] words:

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

It would be best if the chapter break were not here because these are the very next three verses:

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

If the Lord permits us to “go on unto perfection”, we will be the first to partake of “the purchased possession” (Eph 1:12-14) and be given “a part in the blessed and holy… first resurrection” (Rev 20:6), and we will know the full meaning of:

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.

The natural tendency for all of us is to apply the Lord’s words anywhere but where they are primarily meant to be applied, and this is to whom these words are primarily addressed:

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.

If we are the “first [to] trust in Christ” then “all things are [primarily ours], the world, or life, or death, or things present or things to come; all are [primarily ours].” That is what the holy spirit wants us to get out of these words:

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.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Is it not true that “all… in Adam… shall… be made alive”? Without a doubt, that is what the scriptures teach. These words were spoken by the Lord Himself to Cain just before Cain killed Abel:

Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto [Hebrew: ‘el’, ‘against’] thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him [sin].
Gen 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against [Hebrew: ‘el’, ‘against’] Abel his brother, and slew him.

Christ made us this promise:

Joh 12:32  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Paul simply confirms these words of Christ in:

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Once again Paul emphasizes who are the primary… the first beneficiaries of the Lord’s gift of life to “all in Adam” when He tells us this in the very next verse:

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

What we have just read is telling us that there is an order in which the salvation of all is to be accomplished, and “we [are to be the] first [to] trust in Christ… to the praise of His glory”. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” is “the secret of His will… which has been hidden from ages and from generations”.

We just read this in:

Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Then in Colossians 1 we are told exactly what is “the mystery of His will”:

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints [“who first trusted in Christ” (Eph 1:12)]:
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:

Salvation is a gift of God to all men, but “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations [is only being] made manifest to His saints… who first trusted in Christ”. To be given this great honor all we must do is:

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:

The only way to “fill up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in [our] bodies” is to “present ourselves a living sacrifice to God”; suffer for His name’s sake; and be “crucified with Christ [even as we continue to live a life of] “much tribulation” (Rom 12:1, Php 1:29, Gal 2:20, Act 14:22)

As we “suffer… much tribulation… for His name’s sake… the Lord and His Christ” alone are capable of comforting us with the comfort He alone can grant:

Isa 66:13  As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

Our comfort is said to be “in Jerusalem”. Jerusalem is being alluded to as our ‘mother’, and true to that doctrine we are told:

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2Co 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

Here is verse 15 in Rotherham’s version:

2Co 1:5  Because, even as the sufferings of the Christ overflow unto us, so, through the Christ, overfloweth, our encouragement also.

When our encouragement overflows, it does so to others. These verses are the foundation for this statement by the apostle Paul:

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Christ’s own words concur with Isaiah and Paul when He said:

Mat 12:48  But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Mat 12:49  And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mat 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

In Christ’s own words, His spiritual brothers and sisters are also His mother. What that means to you and me is that in Him we are “brother, and sister, and mother” to each other. In our function as each other’s spiritual mother, we are to edify and comfort each other.

Let’s read these verses again:

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.

These words are part of the foundation for this statement by the apostle Paul:

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The Greek word translated “compacted” is ‘sumbibazo’.  Here is the definition of this Greek  word ‘sumbibazo’:

G4822
συμβιβάζω
sumbibazō
soom-bib-ad’-zo

From G4862 and βιβάζω bibazō (to force; causatively [by reduplication] of the base of G939); to drive together, that is, unite (in association or affection), (mentally) to infer, show, teach: – compact, assuredly, gather, instruct, knit together, prove.

A good mother wants unity in her family. A good mother wants her children to be together and united in association and affection, and she wants to see them supporting and comforting each other. This word ‘sumbibazo’ is translated as “knit together” in these verses in Colossians 2:

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together [sumbibazo] in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Col 2:4  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Col 2:19  And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together [sumbibazo], increaseth with the increase of God.

When we are “knit together in love” we “nourish and minister… and increase” in our knowledge of God, and our “hearts [are] comforted” by our ‘mother… bearing [us] on her side, and dandling us on her knees:”

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.

When we see this in each other, then we rejoice in knowing who we are in Christ:

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.

That verse is just the Old Testament way of saying:

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

These are indeed very comforting words addressed to us if we are in Him. If we know Him and if we know His voice, then these words are addressed to us and only to us as the children of  our ‘mother’, the “New Jerusalem”:

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.
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

We need to appreciate what we are being told here. “All things work together for good to them that love God.” According to 1 John 5:2-3, loving God means that we are obedient to Him:

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

We are not being told that ‘all things work together for good for all men’. The doctrine of universal salvation does not teach that all things work together for good to those who are cast into the lake of fire at the white throne judgment. The Lord Himself called those in that resurrection “Ye cursed”:

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:

It is true the Lord can, and He does “call light out of darkness”, and He alone can make good come out of evil in the end, but in the meantime, while we await the all in all, ‘all things are not working together for good to them who do not love God and who are not the called according to His purpose.’

On the other hand, if we are His predestined “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, no earthly power can change us into anything else, and we can “milk out” the comfort that comes with these words addressed solely to those who are given to overcome their carnal-minded old man “in this present time”:

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?
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 “dying daily” (1Co 15:31)]; 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.

There will be times when the adversary will be given to cause us to doubt the strength of our relationship with our “brother, sister, and mother”. There will be times when we will doubt how our Lord could possibly be working with and through such a weak vessel. When that time comes, remember these words:

1Jn 3:19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
1Jn 3:20  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

That is our study for today. Our next study will wrap up our studies in this prophecy of Isaiah and will demonstrate that the scriptures, which will never pass away, are first and foremost addressed primarily to us as those ‘upon whom judgment has first begun’ (1Pe 4:17) and “who [are the ]first trusted in Christ” (Eph 1:12).

Here are the concluding verses of the prophecy of Isaiah for our next study:

Isa 66:15  For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
Isa 66:16  For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
Isa 66:17  They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:18  For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
Isa 66:19  And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
Isa 66:20  And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.
Isa 66:21  And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:22  For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Isa 66:23  And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:24  And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Isa 37:1-13 "Shall You be Delivered?" - Discussion

1 file(s) 20.61 MB

Download

Isa 37:1-13 "Shall You Be Delivered?"

Isa 37:1  And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
Isa 37:2  And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
Isa 37:3  And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Isa 37:4  It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
Isa 37:5  So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
Isa 37:6  And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
Isa 37:7  Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
Isa 37:8  So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
Isa 37:9  And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
Isa 37:10  Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
Isa 37:11  Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?
Isa 37:12  Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?
Isa 37:13  Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

Last week we heard the threats of the Lord's enemies against His people. Rabshakeh, speaking for the king of Assyria, tells us we do not stand a chance if we attempt to resist the king of Assyria. Those were not empty threats, because the king of Assyria had demonstrated his ability to overcome all nations all around Judah, the Lord's people. He has even taken away our closest kin, our northern brothers, the nation of Israel. The Lord Himself has already labeled Assyria, the people of Babylon, as "the rod of mine indignation":

Isa 10:5  O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
Isa 10:6  I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Being swallowed up by the lies of Babylon "is [the Lord's] indignation". The fact is, that it is a miracle that any of us do battle with the beast, the beast against whom no man can, of himself, do any battle:

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Here is the only answer to that question:

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

The trial of our faith requires that our plight must look hopeless, because of ourselves we are hopeless! We must all be brought to our wits' end before we will renounce our own will and acknowledge that "all things" are of Him. The storms and the trials as well as the outcome of the storm and trials are all His doing. All things are the work of His hand. Archangels Michael and Gabriel are the Lord's hand, but so is Satan (Job 1:11-12 and 2:5-6).

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

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:

Nevertheless our victory "through Christ" is as certain as David's victory over Goliath, and this is why it will be the case:

1Sa 2:10  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

1Ch 29:11  Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
1Ch 29:12  Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

It was faith in the truth of these words which inspired David to face Goliath, inspired Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego to refuse the king's order to bow down to his image, and it was this truth which inspired Daniel to remain faithful in prayer and let the chips fall where they may because, like Christ before Pilate, he knew these words were true. However, do not think that David and Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, and Daniel and Christ's faith was not sorely tried. The account of our Lord Himself is probably the most vivid of what all these men endured. It is not humanly possible to face Goliath, a fiery furnace, a lion's den, and crucifixion without symbolically sweating blood as our Lord did literally on the night of His apprehension:

Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
Luk 22:44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Hezekiah is an Old Testament type of Christ in this same fiery trial:

Isa 37:1  And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
Isa 37:2  And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
Isa 37:3  And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Isa 37:4  It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.

Hezekiah has already seen the humiliating results of bowing down to the king of Assyria. His father before Him and he himself had succumbed to that temptation and eaten the humiliating fruit of that faithless, rebellious heart and mind. Both Ahaz, Hezekiah's father, and Hezekiah himself, had voluntarily attempted to buy the mercies of a merciless "old man" king, and a merciless king could not give something he did not possess.

When Hezekiah says...:

Isa 37:3 ...This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

...He is simply acknowledging that of himself he is completely hopeless and helpless. This is what he is saying in spiritual terms:

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Listen to the hopelessness Paul feels in his own ability to make good on his will to serve God:

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

All of this happened to Hezekiah, and it is written down for our admonition just to let us know that we, too, are helpless and hopeless creatures if we are depending upon ourselves for our salvation.

1Co 10:6 Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things, (CLV)

1Co 10:11 Now all this befalls them typically. Yet it was written for our admonition, to whom the consummations of the eons have attained. (CLV)

Hezekiah has been crushed to powder before the Lord and before Judah. Isaiah had already prophesied of this exact day outwardly. We, too, must experience this same day inwardly, before the Lord will come to our rescue:

Isa 20:1  In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;
Isa 20:2  At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Isa 20:3  And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
Isa 20:4  So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
Isa 20:5  And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
Isa 20:6  And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?

"This isle" is referring to the nation of Israel. Spiritually 'this isle' is you and  me. We all see that everyone reaps what they have sown:

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
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.

As we just read in Romans 7, of ourselves we can sow to nothing but the flesh.

Our own expectation, when we continuously rebel against our Maker, is to be carried away into spiritual Babylon, with nothing to cover our spiritual nakedness and with nothing to cover our spiritual feet. Sadly, when this is accomplished within us, we are not even aware that we are spiritually naked and have been swallowed up by spiritual Babylon. In fact we feel that the exact opposite is true:

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

This 'fire', the 'white raiment' and the 'eye salve' are all the one and same Christ and His doctrine. The Lord is all Hezekiah now has to depend upon for his very life. As a type of us, he has been chosen by the Lord to be brought to his "wits' end", and he is now desperate for a Savior to deliver him from his plight, which he now acknowledges is hopeless. Hezekiah, typifying each of us, has now learned that the king of Assyria, typifying our own self-righteous flesh, would not be satisfied if we were to give Him the Lord's temple with all of its treasures. He has already tried that route and he has seen just how merciless the king of Assyria is.

So King Hezekiah humbles himself before the Lord, He tears up his own clothes of self-righteousness, and dresses himself and the Eliakim, who was in charge of the king's house, and his scribe and the elders of the priests, in sackcloth, to demonstrate their sorrowful, crushed and repentant hearts, and he sends them all to the Lord's prophet, to Isaiah.

Isaiah had even been made to know that Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, would be in this very position to lead the king's house in a right and proper way as nothing less than a type of Christ Himself, "in that day", the day of judgment upon the house of God (1Pe 4:17):

Isa 22:20  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
Isa 22:21  And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
Isa 22:22  And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Isa 22:23  And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.
Isa 22:24  And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
Isa 22:25  In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

This "key of the house of David" is just another way of saying "the keys to the kingdom of David". This phrase represents being given access to Christ and His doctrine, which is a gift given to all who know Him:

Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

If we have Christ within us, then we have "the key of the house of David", which is the house of Christ, as He Himself confesses:

Rev 3:7  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

This entire prophecy of Hilkiah being exalted from a much less prominent position to replace Shebna, is all a prophecy for our own encouragement. This is a prophecy of how Christ is preparing us to oversee the Lord's house in the day of judgment and in times of trouble.

"Upon His shoulder" has the same meaning as:

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The government of the entire earth will be upon the shoulders of Christ and His Christ. He and His Christ are our "Counselor" and when we ignore His counsel, we will reap what we have sown.

Getting back to the actions of King Hezekiah as a type of the Lord's elect rulers, he is one who was crushed and humiliated and brought to His wits' end and then chosen to repent of his sins in giving the Lord's gold and silver to the king of Assyria. He is now, at long last, aware that he must depend upon the Lord alone for his salvation from the strength of the king of Assyria. He has humbled himself and has humbled all of his house and has sent them all dressed in sackcloth, the symbol of humility and repentance, to the Lord's prophet to ask the Lord for His mercy and the salvation of His strength.

This is the exact opposite state of mind to that of the elders who many years later, after being taken to Babylon, came to inquire of the Lord through the priest prophet Ezekiel:

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5  That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

Eliakim, Shebna, and the elders and priests, came to the prophet Isaiah "covered with sackcloth" to inquire of the Lord. The idols of their hearts had already been crushed to powder, and the stark reality of that crushing experience was now staring them in the face in the form of Rabshakeh and a great host of Assyrian soldiers who had indeed destroyed and subdued all the nations around them. Now they were come to destroy the people of the Lord, and it would take a miracle for Hezekiah and his people to be delivered from the great king Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. The destruction of all the armies of the adversary within each of the Lord's children, the destruction of the pride within each of us and the humbling of our old man comes only through this same, physically impossible situation in our own lives. It is nothing short of a miracle of God that any of us are here today or that we will endure the trials of this life to the end:

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
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.

The Truth is that our blindness and our sight are both miracles of God. The things of the spirit are foolishness to our natural man. It appears to Hezekiah that there is no way out of his dilemma. "Who can make war with the beast?" No one has ever before overcome the beast. But God is merciful to His elect and He gives them faith in Himself to do the impossible:

Isa 37:5  So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
Isa 37:6  And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

When we set up our own "idols of the heart" and place them as stumbling blocks of iniquity before our faces and then come to the Lord, His Word, and His elders and His prophets, with a made up mind telling the prophet the way it is going to be, that prophet and all who are given to hear the word of the Lord at his mouth are told "Be not afraid of the words that you have heard... blaspheming Me". Our idols of our hearts and all the lies we are told we must believe in order to be saved are not lies against any man. They are nothing less than blasphemous, rebellious, doctrines which contradict and deny the Truths of the Word of God.

This is how the Lord deals with such reprobates:

Isa 37:7  Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
Isa 37:8  So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
Isa 37:9  And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
Isa 37:10  Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
Isa 37:11  Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?
Isa 37:12  Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?
Isa 37:13  Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

Outwardly Hezekiah has not lifted as much as a finger against the king of Assyria, and all of a sudden everything has changed and the king of Assyria is suddenly preoccupied with more pressing matters than the conquering of Jerusalem. The Lord, who is working all things at all times after the counsel of His own will, has done all of Hezekiah's fighting for him in causing the king of Assyria to "Hear a rumor, and return to his own land" where it is the king of Assyria who falls by the sword of the Lord at the hands of evil wicked men, just as King David had prophesied many years earlier. Just look at how these words of King David apply to King Hezekiah's plight:

Psa 17:7  Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
Psa 17:8  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psa 17:9  From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
Psa 17:10  They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
Psa 17:11  They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psa 17:12  Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Psa 17:14  From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
Psa 17:15  As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

King David and King Hezekiah typify us as the Lord's very elect who will "awake with [the Lord's] likeness" in that "blessed and holy... first resurrection".

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.

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.

Next week, Lord willing, we will see who the king of Assyria within us has blasphemed, and the week after that we will see what the Lord does to blasphemers:

Here are next week's verses:

Isa 37:14  And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
Isa 37:15  And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,
Isa 37:16  O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.
Isa 37:17  Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.
Isa 37:18  Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,
Isa 37:19  And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
Isa 37:20  Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.
Sennacherib's Fall
Isa 37:21  Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:
Isa 37:22  This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
Isa 37:23  Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 37:24  By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.
Isa 37:25  I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.
Isa 37:26  Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.
Isa 37:27  Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
Isa 37:28  But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.

Isa 34:1-9 God's Elect are the First to Endure His Vengeance and be Purified with Brimstone - Discussion

1 file(s) 13.68 MB

Download

Isa 34:1-9 - God's Elect Are The First to Endure His Vengeance and Be Purified With Brimstone

Isa 34:1  Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
Isa 34:2  For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
Isa 34:3  Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
Isa 34:4  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
Isa 34:5  For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.
Isa 34:6  The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
Isa 34:7  And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
Isa 34:8  For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
Isa 34:9  And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

These verses of Isaiah, inspired of the holy spirit, certainly form a foundation for these words which the same holy spirit inspired the apostle Paul to write:

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

No one in either "the first resurrection" or in "the second death... the lake of fire" will enter into the temple of God until the seven plagues have been "fulfilled" within the life of "every man":

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

These seven plagues are "the judgment of the great whore" within each of us:

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

The seventh angel's vial being poured out produces an earthquake greater than any previous earthquake, and the result of that earthquake is that the great city of Babylon is divided into three parts to be judged and "to give unto her the cup of the fierceness of His wrath". This must take place before anyone can enter into the temple of God in heaven.

This "hail out of heaven" is the Truth of the doctrines of Christ which "shall sweep away the refuge of lies", which is all the doctrines of Babylon:  doctrines like a trinity Godhead, an immortal soul, eternal hell fire, and the false doctrine that man has a will that is free from any influence from God:

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

The hail, and the fire are common to all men in both the first and the second resurrections. So we are told:

Isa 34:1  Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
Isa 34:2  For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

"The earth and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it" is an all-inclusive category encompassing all men of all ages partaking of "the indignation of the Lord upon all nations" and again reinforcing:

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

This chapter of Isaiah is the basis for the words of Revelation 16 and the filling up of the wrath of God against all the lies of Babylon within us:

Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell:and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Babylon is first mentioned in connection with "the indignation of the Lord" and in connection with "all nations" in the fourteenth chapter of Revelation:

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.

What we are about to learn is that Esau, Edom and Idumea are one and all speaking of Babylon. So the holy spirit continues to inspire these words:

Isa 34:3  Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

Babylon is spiritual 'Esau', the rejected anointed of God with whom we are to have no agreement or alliances, and yet we are not to hate these our weaker brothers who are "yet carnal... babes in Christ" and are to us "the smell of death", just as we are to them:

2Co 2:14  And thanks is to God who always causes us to triumph in the Christ, and who makes manifest the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place, through us.
2Co 2:15  Because we are a fragrance of Christ to God, in those being saved and in those perishing:
2Co 2:16  to the one an odor of death for death, and to the other an aroma of life for life. And who is adequate for these things? (ACV)

A dead "old man... in this present evil age" is the making of a living "new man" who is convinced of God that he "can do all things through Christ... in this present evil age". A living "new man" acknowledges that he has Christ within him "in this present evil age [while yet] in [an] earthen vessel":

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching us [Greek: paideuo, chastening us] that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Greek: aion, age)

It is the death of our old man which is "an odor of death for death" being spoken of here in:

Isa 34:3  Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

When this dying of our old man begins to take place in our lives, every false doctrine in our heavens is also revealed, and our heavens begin to dissolve and roll together as a scroll:

Isa 34:4  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Let's look at how the holy spirit uses this verse about our "heavens" in the New Testament, and we will have a better understanding of the types and shadows of this verse of scripture:

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

The wording differs somewhat, but the subject is the same "indignation of the Lord upon all nations" (vs 2), called "the day of God" here in 2nd Peter 3:12.

The day of God, the day of His wrath and "the indignation of the Lord upon all nations" are one and all the judgment of the great whore, which must take place before anyone can enter into the temple of God in heaven:

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

But "the great day of His wrath", which is this same event against our Babylonian pride and rebellion, is first mentioned in Revelation 6:

Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

This "great day of His wrath" here in Revelation 6 is the same as "the fierceness of His wrath" poured out on "great Babylon" in the seventh vial of Revelation 16:

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Whatever else may be signified by Isaiah 34:4, one thing which is certain is that the dissolving and rolling together of the heavens and the falling of untimely figs all signify "the wrath of the Lamb... the great day of His wrath... great Babylon [being] give[n]... the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath".

All of this takes place within every man who is given to enter into the temple of God in heaven. In other words, "the great day of His wrath" is the beginning of our day of judgment in which we will "learn righteousness":

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Here is the New Testament fulfillment of this verse for you and for me, if indeed we are given to see and to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven:

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
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.

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation ["Much tribulation" - Act 14:22]: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

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.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

This 34th chapter of Isaiah, along with all the rest of the "sum of [the Lord's] Words", demonstrates that the fire, brimstone, and the torments of that fire and brimstone, are common to "all men". Here again are the first two verses of this chapter:

Isa 34:1  Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
Isa 34:2  For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

This represents our own Babylonian, Esau, Idumea rebellious spirit which must be, and is being, destroyed by the seven plagues of the seven angels which fill up the wrath of God against rebellious 'Babylon' within each of us.

Isa 34:5  For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.
Isa 34:6  The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
Isa 34:7  And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

As pointed out earlier, Esau is Edom or "Idumea". We will see clearly in our next study that Esau, Edom, and Idumea are all types of Babylon the great the mother of harlots and of abominations of the earth. Babylon is "mystery" (secret) Babylon, representing all the religions of this world, which have all of mankind deceived and blinded to what is really written in the Word of God. All the religions of this world are in extreme opposition to the laws of God and are viscerally filled with hatred toward the doctrines of "our Lord and His Christ":

Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

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.

Much of the "many waters" of Babylon profess to be Christians, and at the same time are "drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus". Scripturally speaking that 'blood' and those 'martyrs' need not be literal. All that is needed to become a spiritual murderer is to hate your brother:

1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding [Greek: 'G3306, meno] in him.

Eternal life 'abides' in all in whom Christ's words 'abide' or "continue". In other words, eternal life abides in those who "do the things" [Christ] tells us to do:

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.

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Telling others we should "tremble at His words" while doing the exact opposite does not go over well with our heavenly Father. He literally hates hypocrisy.

Mar 7:6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Here is one of the places where Isaiah points out our hypocrisy:

Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Isa 29:14  Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Isa 29:15  Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Eternal life does not abide in those who hide themselves from Him under the lies of Babylon.

The "waters...where the whore [sits] are":

Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 17:18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

These "peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues, [and] kings of the earth" are the very same all-inclusive group against whom the first two verses of our study today are addressed:

Isa 34:1  Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
Isa 34:2  For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

This great harlot is not just Christianity or Judaism or Catholicism. This 'woman' "reigns over the kings of the [whole] earth". This great whore is all the religions of this world who will not submit to the laws and thoughts of Christ and His Father, and this chapter of Isaiah is telling us what will happen to us when we are living in rebellion against Him and His laws. God's wrath is poured out upon "all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (Rom 1:18), and this is how His wrath is described in the scriptures:

Isa 34:8  For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
Isa 34:9  And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

"The day of the Lord's vengeance" is poured out upon Idumea, upon Esau, and upon all the religions of this world "for the controversy of Zion", and next week, if the Lord wills, we will see that Babylon is judged prior to the first resurrection. That is true inwardly, and it will one day be true outwardly at the end of this age, and at the very beginning of the "thousand year reign" Christ and His Christ.

Next week we will see how the words from this 34th chapter concerning God's judgments upon Idumea are quoted in the book of Revelation in reference to Babylon and all of her fornications.

Does any of this sound familiar to you?:

Isa 34:10  It [the Lord's wrath] shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
Isa 34:11  But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.
Isa 34:12  They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing.
Isa 34:13  And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.
Isa 34:14  The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.
Isa 34:15  There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate.
Isa 34:16  Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.
Isa 34:17  And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.