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Isaiah 7-12
Skip Heitzig

Isaiah 7 (NKJV™)
1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, "Syria's forces are deployed in Ephraim." So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.
3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field,
4 "and say to him: 'Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.
5 'Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying,
6 "Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel"--
7 'thus says the Lord GOD: "It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, And the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, And the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, Surely you shall not be established."'"
10 Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
11 "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above."
12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!"
13 Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?
14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
15 "Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
16 "For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.
17 "The LORD will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father's house--days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah."
18 And it shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures.
20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard.
21 It shall be in that day That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep;
22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.
23 It shall happen in that day, That wherever there could be a thousand vines Worth a thousand shekels of silver, It will be for briers and thorns.
24 With arrows and bows men will come there, Because all the land will become briers and thorns.
25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam.
Isaiah 8 (NKJV™)
1 Moreover the LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
2 "And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah."
3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, "Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz;
4 "for before the child shall have knowledge to cry 'My father' and 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria."
5 The LORD also spoke to me again, saying:
6 "Inasmuch as these people refused The waters of Shiloah that flow softly, And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah's son;
7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty--The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks.
8 He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.
9 "Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For God is with us."
11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:
12 "Do not say, 'A conspiracy,' Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
13 The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread.
14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken."
16 Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him.
18 Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.
19 And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 They will pass through it hard pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.
Isaiah 9 (NKJV™)
1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian.
5 For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
8 The LORD sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel.
9 All the people will know--Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria--Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:
10 "The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars."
11 Therefore the LORD shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on,
12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.
13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts.
14 Therefore the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day.
15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.
16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.
17 Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke.
19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother.
20 And he shall snatch on the right hand And be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm.
21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah 10 (NKJV™)
1 "Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed
2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless.
3 What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?
4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain." For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.
5 "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations.
8 For he says, 'Are not my princes altogether kings?
9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?'"
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks."
13 For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.
14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep."
15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!
16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire.
17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day.
18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them.
20 And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God.
22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
23 For the Lord GOD of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land.
24 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt.
25 "For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction."
26 And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.
27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
28 He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment.
29 They have gone along the ridge, They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish--O poor Anathoth!
31 Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.
32 As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, The hill of Jerusalem.
33 Behold, the Lord, The LORD of hosts, Will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.
Isaiah 11 (NKJV™)
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 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.
3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den.
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.
10 "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious."
11 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 who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea.
12 He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.
13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them.
15 The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod.
16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria, As it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.
Isaiah 12 (NKJV™)
1 And in that day you will say: "O LORD, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.'"
3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.
4 And in that day you will say: "Praise the LORD, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted.
5 Sing to the LORD, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.
6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!"

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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23 Isaiah - 1990

Isaiah is perhaps the best known of the prophets, and he was frequently quoted by Jesus Christ. Pastor Skip Heitzig guides us through this study of Isaiah's warning to the people of God.

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Chapters 7 through 12 are prophecies that predict the deliverance of Judah from Syria and Israel. Just in case you forget, remember at this time, the nation of Israel is divided into two regions-- north and the south. North, the 10 tribes are known collectively as Israel. The two tribes on the bottom are collectively known as Judah. There's been a split in the kingdom.

Ever since Jeroboam has died, there has been an increased weakness in both Israel and Judah. United we stand, divided we fall. Israel is falling, is toppling. And Judah, although stronger, will soon topple after her. But at this time, before Assyria has taken the northern kingdom away, there was an alliance that forms between the northern 10 tribes, called Israel, and Syria. An alliance is formed, and that alliance invited Judah to come join them.

Judah said, no way, Jose. That's a paraphrase, of course. We won't do it. We'll remain true to the Lord, sort of, on our own terms. We'll still worship at pagan altars, but we'll be religious at least. Because of that, Israel and Syria, known in some of your bibles as the kingdom of Aram, A-R-A-M, have formed an alliance against the nation of Judah. And we read about that now in chapter 7 that nations are opposing this little, tiny real estate section known as Judah, this remnant of people that are still following the Lord.

Throughout chapter 7 through 12, and through the whole book is the prediction that though all of the nations oppose Judah, they will not stand, because they are opposing God. And God will not let them stand. And we see ultimately the deliverance of Israel and Judah through their Messiah. As you know, Isaiah has a lot to do regarding the Messiah. Now in chapter 7 comes that famous Emmanuel prophecy. A child will be born who will deliver the nation.

In verses 1 and 2, we get the historical situation. It came to pass in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, the King of Judah that Rezin, the King of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, the King of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it.

Just a side note, and I see it, so I've got to throw it in. You often read that people go up to Jerusalem. If you were to look at a map, you would see that these guys mentioned are north of Jerusalem, and we would say that you go down to Jerusalem.

But in the Bible, they look at it topographically and spiritually. Jerusalem is situated higher in elevation than most of the country, so you're usually going upward to Jerusalem. Also, the Jews considered it a step upward when you went to Jerusalem to worship. So spiritually, you're going up as well as topographically in elevation.

They went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. And it was told to the house of David, saying, "Syria's forces are deployed in Ephraim." And so his heart, and the heart of his people, were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.

Here we have mentioned the last King of Syria before Syria fell, and the second to the last King of Israel before Israel fell. The Lord said to Isaiah, go out now to meet Ahaz. You and-- know get this guy's name. This is his son, the first son of Isaiah. Shear-jashub-- that's pronounced in Hebrew-- your son. At the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field.

You know how a lot of times, people will take biblical names. They look for-- sometimes people look for the wildest biblical names to name their children. Well, if you're looking for an out of the ordinary biblical name to name your son, try this one. I don't know how much luck he'll have in school, however. The teacher tries to pronounce his name.

And say to Ahaz, say to him, verse 4, take heed and be quiet. Do not fear or be faint hearted, for these two stubs of smoking firebrands for the fierce anger of Rezin, and Syria, and the son of Remaliah because Syria, Ephraim, and the sun of Remaliah have taken evil counsel against you, saying let us go up against Judah, and trouble it. Let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and send a King over them, the son of [INAUDIBLE].

Thus says the Lord God, it shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass. For the head of is Damascus. The head of Damascus is this guy, Rezin. Within 65 years, Ephraim will be broken so that it will not be a people. The head of Ephraim is Sumeria, the head of Sumeria is Remaliah's son. If you do not believe, surely, you shall not be established.

Now, I want you to notice verse 8. Within 65 years, Ephraim will be broken. The year that Isaiah spoke this was the year 734 BC. 65 years later would be 669 BC. In the year 722-- and some of you know this date.

722 was the year when Assyria swept down upon the northern kingdom of Israel, deported most of the people, a lot of the people, to the central portion of Assyria, wiped out Israel. However, years later, in the year 669 was the year when foreigners were taken from Assyria, and other lands that Assyria had captured, and brought to Israel so that they would intermarry with the peasants of Israel.

And that intermarriage and dispersion of the people caused a breaking of the tribes, and they were never able to reunite powerfully until God finally brought them back. But within 65 years, to the year, the nation was broken to the point that they just completely gave in, and that spawned a group of people known as Samaritans-- the intermarriage between the people from the northern kingdom and some of these foreigners from some of the other countries.

Now, it says in verse 10, moreover-- before we get into the Emmanuel prophecy, it's kind of interesting that Isaiah is sent to comfort Ahaz, who is really a yo-yo. I mean, this guy was really as pagan as you could get. He was worshipping pagan gods, and yet he was trying to worship, in a sense, the Lord. Very syncretistic, he brought the two together. And Ahaz was no spiritual leader that God would or should ever say I'll protect you. God owed him nothing, and yet Isaiah is sent to him to comfort him.

Let me read you a little, a biography brief biography, on this King, Ahaz. It says Ahaz was 20 years old when he became King. Imagine that, a youngin, 20 years old, ruling a people. He reigned 16 years in Jerusalem, and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his Father David had done, for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel in the north, and made molded images for the Baals.

He burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and he burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. He burned his own kids as part of his worship system to the Baals, and to Moloch.

That was part of the worship system. The little God was heated up white hot. He had little arms that stretched out as the fire was kindling underneath him. And part of the worship was that you take a child, a baby, your own child, and place it on the burning arms of that little God, sacrificing the life of that child.

Now, here's a King of Judah following in the pagan practices of the people around him, and yet Isaiah brings a message of comfort to this guy. It's as if God is stretching out his hand, telling him that he should repent. Very graciously that God was still protecting him. It sort of reminds me of Judas.

Now, Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him, and yet we see that Judas was sitting next to Jesus at the Last Supper, at a place of honor, a place that is only given by invitation. Imagine that, Jesus inviting Judas to have a place of honor at the Last Supper. Here, Judas, sit here-- the place of honor, the place of the highest guest-- even though Jesus knew Judas was betraying him, as if Jesus was reaching out

and now it says in verse 10, moreover, the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God. Ask it either in the depth or in the height above. In other words, name your terms, pal. You pick a sign, any sign. Pick a miracle, any miracle. What would you like God to do to you as a proof that his words are valid?

Now, those kinds of things aren't handed out too frequently in the scripture. In fact, the Bible says we're not to tempt or to test the Lord, our God. But the Lord says, Ahaz, you think of the wildest things, high or low, anything to validate the message, and I'll do it. But Ahaz says, and he sounds very pious. He's just disobedient, that's all.

Ahaz said, I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord. Oh, Mr. Spiritual. He isn't spiritual because God told him to do it, and he's disobedient. And then he said, here now, o house of David, is it a small thing for you to weary men? But will you also weary my God? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.

It seems that this prophecy is sort of a combination prophecy. That is there's a fulfillment in a local and immediate sense, but there is a combination to it. It speaks of something further in the future of a messianic prophecy, which most of us are aware that it's a messianic prophecy. It's one of the most famous. But there is this immediate fulfillment as well as something that goes far beyond the immediate fulfillment, onto the future when Jesus, the messiah, would reign.

It seems that this sign was directed to Ahaz, and that a girl, who was at the time the prophecy was spoken, was a virgin. She got married, had a son, and that son, as you go on and read the prophecy, says that before he grows up, while he's still young, that this pact between Israel and Syria will be broken, and that his life, his young age, would become a sign to Ahaz.

However, it is a combination prophecy. It goes way out into the future, and as you notice, it says in verse 13, here now, o house of David. It's a prophecy, actually, for the entire House of David. And we know this because Matthew quotes Isaiah to give us an explanation why Mary is pregnant in the New Testament before she consummated her marriage with Joseph.

Now, this is something Joseph also was curious about. Why is Mary pregnant when we're going through this dating relationship of espousal? We haven't consummated the marriage relationship and she is with child. He almost decided to put her away privately. In fact, he did decide that. He was going to divorce her privately rather than make a public example of her.

But as you know, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, and said that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. It's a work of God. Do what I say. She hasn't had relationships with a man. It's the Holy Spirit who has conceived within her. This passage has created a lot of consternation for people, especially the liberals, who deny that there is such a thing as a virgin birth.

Now, you've got to admit it-- it's kind of tough when you think of a virgin, never had sexual relations, having babies. That does not gel with what we know about physiology, and that's why it's the ultimate sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son-- verse 14-- and shall call his name Emmanuel.

The word that people get hung up on is that word virgin. In Hebrew it's the word Alma, and there are some scholars who say, you know, that's really-- doesn't mean virgin, and they're right in some regard because Alma can mean either a young woman or maiden, period, or it can mean a virgin-- a girl of marritable age who is chaste. She's a virgin.

But scholars say, well, that's not really the right word. There's another word in Hebrew, bethulah, and that is often always-- excuse me-- translated virgin, and here it says a young lady. So what's the big deal? The idea here is that Ahaz-- this young woman is going to get married, have a son, you'll call his name Emmanuel, which is God with us. However, it's not really that great of a sign to have a young woman have a baby. That happens all the time.

The ultimate sign for the messianic consideration we're speaking about is that a virgin would conceive. How do we know it's a virgin rather than a young woman? Simply because seven times in the Old Testament the word Alma refers to a virgin, not a young woman. And when Matthew translates the verse in Greek, he uses parthenoth, which only means virgin, not a young woman. So there's no mistake.

And it's funny, kind of, to read and to hear some of the very liberal theologians speak about this verse. I mean, they go on and on, page after page of how that this couldn't be a virgin. And every time I meet a liberal, or read one of their writings, I feel like asking them did your dad ever have a talk with you about the birds and the bees? Don't you understand these things? Because they belabor the point to really a ludicrous extreme.

The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and you shall call his name God with us. That is the title. That's what he shall be known as-- God with us. It talks about curds and honey. He shall eat, speaking of the poverty with which he will grow up in. That he may refuse the evil and choose the good. It speaks about this child, and get down now to chapter 8.

It says moreover, the Lord said to me, take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz. You say, what on earth is that? Well, let's read on. And I will take for myself, faithful witnesses to record Uriah the Priest, Zechariah the son of Jeberekiah, and I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son.

And the Lord said to me, this is Isaiah and his wife. The Lord said, call his name Mahershalalhashbaz. Now you think the first name was a little bad, look at this one. You hope he had a nickname like Maher, or anything. What a tough way to grow up with this kind of a name, but it was a command of God because the translation means speed up the spoil, and hasten the booty. Speed the spoil, hasten the booty.

Speaking figuratively that the Syrians would come in, that were coming in to destroy Israel. In like manner, the Babylonians would one day come in, wipe out Judah, and take the spoils of the city as spoils of war back to their homeland. And so this son became a sign. His name was not called Emmanuel, and he was not a sign for the whole house of David.

And so there's an immediate fulfillment of chapter 7, there's a long range messianic fulfillment. For before the child shall have knowledge to cry my father and my mother, the riches of Damascus, and the spoil of Sumeria will be taken away before the King of Assyria. In other words, this pact that the northern kingdom and his and Syria had made will be busted.

The Lord spoke also to me saying, in as much as these people refuse the water of Shiloah flows softly, and they rejoice in Rezin, and in Remaliah's son. Therefore behold, the Lord brings up over them the waters of the river, the strong and the mighty, the King of Assyria, and His glory.

The waters of Shiloah are the waters that flow from a place down in the Kidron valley called the Gihon spring, the principal water source of Jerusalem. You that have been on the trips with us, we've walked down to this very pool. We've heard it flowing at its source. We've walked through Hezekiah's tunnel, the tunnel that brought the water from this source, into the pool of Siloam inside the city walls.

The waters of Shiloah, it's a metonym that refers to the entire city of Jerusalem. Because you did not rejoice in your position that God placed you in-- therefore, since you didn't rejoice in those gentle, flowing, refreshing waters, I'm going to bring the river over you. The river is speaking of the Euphrates River, upon which the Assyrians and the Babylonians were living. They're going to flow like the river upon which they live, and they're going to come in, and they're going to wipe you out.

So we have the prediction here of the Assyrian invasion, and I want you to look now down at verse 19. And when they say to you, seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter, should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? Should people seek the dead on behalf of the living?

What an interesting verse in the light of our times, where there is quite a resurgence of spiritism. One out of five Americans express belief in astrology, Ouija boards, consulting past people, channeling some hocus pocus person who lived generations ago to give us direction for today. The whole new age movement is based upon that.

Interesting how people, instead of living here and now, consult the dead on behalf of the living. Even in Saudi Arabia, there is the supposed tomb of Eve. And every year, devout Muslims go to the tomb Eve, drop some coins in a box, and ask dead Eve for advice on how to rule their life now. Well, in a very real sense, the children of Israel were doing that, and God says, shouldn't you seek God instead of dead people? You don't seek the dead on behalf of the living.

And here's the answer to the law and to the testimony-- and if they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. The true test of a prophet, the true test for anyone who claims to give direction is do they speak according to this law. It's always the final test. That's why you are safe if you know this book.

We had a wonderful privilege, three of us-- Eddie Kidby, Geno, and I-- this week to sit down with a few Mormons in our community. Mormons came a couple of Sunday nights ago to listen to the message, our Thursday nights. And they walked up to me, and they said we're elder so-and-so, and this is elder so-and-so, and this is elder so-and-so. Now, they're boys. They can't even grow hair on their face, but they're called elders. If you know anything about the Mormon church, they're on there two-year missionary jaunt.

We really enjoyed the study tonight. I said great. Said we'd like to meet with you. Great. He said, what do you think about the Book of Mormon? I said well, this is going to take some time. We need to sit down and talk, and I've had discussions like this, and I know how they usually turn out. So instead of talking about it here, make an appointment. They said great. They made an appointment, they came in, they sat down with us, they started speaking. We had a wonderful time.

In fact, we invited them back. We're trying to make a second appointment. But it is interesting, the criterion for truth in the Mormon church, and in many other cults like Mormonism is not the word of God. It's the pearl of Great Price, doctrines and covenants, the Book of Mormon. And as interesting as they were going through their holy books, at the last they mentioned, oh yeah, the Bible.

Now, you would put first the Bible as being the inspired word of God. It's interesting, the average Mormon will say we believe that the Bible is the word of God in as much as it is correctly translated. They always add that.

And so I ask them, do you believe the Bible is the word of God in as much as it's correctly translated? And they said, yep, that's it-- in as much as it's correctly translated. So let me ask you a question. They said what is it? I said, do any of you know any Hebrew or Greek? No. Well, the translators did. And how do you know what is in as much correctly translated if you don't know the languages which they knew far, and above, and beyond what you and I know?

Now the scripture tells us, and here they're seeking mediums, revelation from another source, and wizards. In the book of Galatians, it's interesting the Judaizers had come, and were provoking the early church. Telling them that unless they keep the law of Moses and are circumcised, they're not saved.

And so Paul wrote his polemic against these people, and said though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel than what you have received, let him be anathema-- placed under the divine curse. Strong language. He repeated it twice just so that we wouldn't forget it.

Keeping that in you f if you flip over to the book of Jude verse 3, it says that we should contend or put up a good fight for the faith. Contend earnestly for the faith-- now, listen-- once for all delivered to the Saints. The faith was once for all delivered to the Saints. Once for all. There are no extra revelations. Once for all delivered to the Saints. That was written toward the end of the first century AD.

In other words, the faith was once for all delivered to the Saints before the close of the first century AD. And though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel than the faith that was delivered to the Saints, once for all, let him be accursed. They didn't have a good answer for that one. To the law and to the testimony, it declares here, if they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them, and they will pass through it, hard pressed, and hungry.

By the way, had a wonderful conversation, wonderful time together, until one of them kind of got a little upset. We went back and forth. He started being very emotional, which I appreciate his emotion-- the depth of feeling that he had. In fact, he started to cry, and he said, I'm really surprised that you three, who call yourselves pastors, are destroying three brothers in the Christian faith like us.

Now, usually, that would make a person stop right there and say, I guess you're right. Waited, and I said, you know, I really do appreciate the depth of your emotion and feeling. That's noteworthy. However, you've got to keep something in mind. From the year 1830 on, Joseph Smith attacked Christendom. We are not attacking you. We're defending your attack upon us.

So we're not attacking. You were the ones that came along, and said, all of you are wrong and we're right. So we're simply defending Apologia, Jude three, put up a good fight for the faith once for all delivered. You've got to keep that in mind. And you'll notice that many of these cultists, very well-meaning, who intimidate a lot of you because you think golly, they know so much. They don't.

They know a few scriptures about their religion, and they know how to present themselves at the door, but you get beyond that, they know very little, if any, biblical theology. So if you know the Bible, you've got an edge on them. Just take it slowly, listen, and think, and you'll be able to share the scripture with them very effectively.

Had a good time. They're going to come back in a week or so. Pray for us. Pray for them that God would open up their hearts, and grant them knowledge of the truth. Then they will look to the earth and see trouble. Darkness and gloom of anguish, and they will be driven into darkness.

Now, chapter 9 speaks of the future deliverance of Israel, and the coming of the deliverer who will bring in lasting changes. You see, here's the problem. Israel had times of ups and downs. And when they were down, they repented, and they got up again. And when they were up, they blew it, and they got down again. The changes were very temporary. They were not long lasting.

Isaiah is famous for predicting something that goes far beyond the immediate, to a time when the Messiah will bring in everlasting righteousness. Now, the concept of the messiah is the central focus of Judaism in the Old Testament. It is the lingering and increasing hope that one day, through a special person, everything will get better. There'll be no more war. There'll be no more fighting, no more persecution. We'll be brought into the kingdom age.

And so the Jew always looked for the messiah, and the prophets prophesied the messiah. Or as the Hebrews, Hamas Shia. As Daniel says, hamashiach nagid, the Messiah, the prince. The Jews always look for him. So that during the time of Jesus, the messianic anticipation and expectation was at a high level. In times of darkness, the hope of the Messiah was rekindled, and they were looking for him to come.

During the Roman persecution of the Jews, when Jesus walked the earth, the Jews were eagerly anticipating the messiah. So when Jesus cruises along Galilee and says, repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand, when they heard those words, their hopes shot up to the ceiling. It's at hand? In other words, the messiah is coming. And so when John the Baptist said the Kingdom of God is at hand, what did the Pharisees ask him? Are you the messiah? No. I'm just a voice crying in the wilderness, but he's right around the corner.

Now, we have another prediction about the messiah here in chapter 9, and the messiah-- this person spoken about in verse six and seven-- is no ordinary child. Look at it. For unto us, a child is born, and unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God. Isn't that interesting?

He speaks about the future restoration of Israel, but he goes way beyond it to the ultimate deliverer, and he says there is a child who will be born, and he will be called mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. See, that's why he's set apart from every other ruler.

Everlasting dominion upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice, from that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it. In these verses, we have, perhaps, one of the most concise descriptions of the person of Jesus. He is both deity and humanity in one unit.

He is fully God, everlasting God. In Hebrew, El Gibbor, the one to whom all power is ascribed. Yet, it's a son, it's a child-- fully God, fully man. The church always called this throughout history, the theanthropic nature of Christ, both fully God, and fully man. His name will be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, and then prince of peace.

Why this combination? Why would God, being El Gibbor, the mighty God, decide to wrap himself up in a package of skin, and walk the planet Earth? Why did he do that? Well, he did it to save us, yes, but he did it to identify with us. It says in the book of Hebrews, chapter 4, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points, tempted or tested like we are, yet without sin.

He identifies with us. He walked in human flesh. He felt pain. He felt emotional anguish. He cried tears. He knew what it was like to be rejected, to have his friends walk out on him. Do you know what a wonderful advantage that gives you? If you were a Greek, worshipping in the Parthenon in Athens a few thousand years ago, that's the advantage you wouldn't have.

You'd say I'm hurting, help me. And your gods couldn't help you because they don't know what pain is. They're so far removed, and they're so apathetic, they don't know what it is to feel pain. When you pray to the Lord, and Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, and you say I'm hurting, he can say I know. I experienced what you experience, and there's an identification that occurs immediately. I noticed something really interesting about Nathan. He always responds to my voice. I say, Nathan. Yes dad?

[MIMICKING FOOTSTEPS]

Down the hall. His response, however, is different when I get on my knees, and look at him eyeball to eyeball. He jumps on me. It's a warmth. It draws him in. I'm at his level. I'm identifying with him. I'm not this giant, towering in the kitchen. He all of a sudden feels that he can wrestle me, jump on me, hang loose. It's just a whole different relationship that happens now that I'm on his level.

El Gibbor became a child, a baby in a manger, and he felt what humans feel so that he can identify with us. So when we call upon him, he's at the right hand of God, the Father, and he knows exactly what it's like. Notice here, he's called the wonderful counselor. He is a wonderful counselor, by the way. He's the best I know, and he's free. He doesn't charge $50 an hour. That's pretty good.

Imagine if Jesus set up an office, let's say on the Eubank, North East. Think of the advantage it would be if you could just cruise into his office, and make an appointment with him, and talk about your problems, and its Jesus across the desk, counseling. Think of the tremendous advantage he'd have over any counselor. He's omniscient, omnipresent.

You go and say, I'm having a real marriage problem. I know. I yelled at my wife today. Oh yeah, I heard it. I also know the motivation that you did it with, and the pain, and the anxiety that lay beneath it. He's a wonderful counselor. It's sad that people would settle for second best.

I see so many people running around counselor after counselor. Many of them call themselves biblical Christian counselors. Can I just say beware, please? Beware. Just because a sign is out that says Christian anything, the sign does not make it a reality, and be very careful when you see Christian counselor. What that generally means is that I claim to be a Christian, and I counsel.

It does not mean I counsel with scriptural principles. It could be a little scripture, a little Freud, a little this and that mixed together. Just jumble it all up, and here's my philosophy on life. Be very careful. Jesus is the wonderful counselor, and I see people getting messed up. And if you want some advice, come and talk to us. We know some of the counselors in town, and in confidentiality, we'll tell you where to go.

Make sure that you get biblical counsel. God made you. He gave a book that helps you tick. And I think all council that's worth its salt, has to be biblical based. If you stick to the Lord and the Bible, you've got a wonderful counselor. You see, you can't go to any counselor for help because every counselor has a different philosophy.

Now, follow this statement closely. A person's anthropology will determine his methodology, and I'll explain what I mean. A person's view of man, his anthropology, determines his methodology, how he treats the problems of man.

If a person, in his anthropology, his view of man, believes that man is just the product of his environment. Essentially, good that just needs his esteem raised a little bit, then the methodology, the approach with which you will counsel the person, will be very opposite of the Bible because the Bible teaches that man is a fallen creature because of the curse of sin, and needs a savior, and that that must be identified and confessed before a person has the alleviation of guilt, and the guilt complex.

And so the approach in counseling is different, and the results are different. And as many secular counselors are out there and Christian counselors, each one has their own philosophy, and that's basically what most psychology and counseling is. It is not a science. It is not an empirical system. It is a philosophy.

You know how you prove that? Go to 10 different counselors, and ask them advice on the same thing, and you'll get 10 different answers because it's not empirically based. It is a philosophy of life. Better to hang your hat on something that you are assured is not a philosophy, but is authority. That's why the scripture says all of your precepts and laws are my counselors-- the word of God. OK, wonderful counselor. Mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.

End of verse seven, it speaks about the ultimate position that he will occupy at his second coming. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom to order it, and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. It will be an everlasting reign. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Some day-- and chapter 11 mentions it tonight. Some day, there's not going to be Republican and Democrat. There will not be the systems of government that we know it today. We see communist policies, and communism in all of these countries, toppling over. What a wonderful thing it is. However, it's not the answer to their problems.

They'll espouse democracy, and they'll find that democracy doesn't work as the ultimate answer. That people will bicker, and fight, and it won't solve their problems. It's a wonderful step beyond communism, granted, but it does not solve the world's problems. Man has never been able to adequately govern himself. Man was intended and created to be governed with a theocratic kingdom, a theocracy, an absolute rule of God over his people. That's the way God ultimately intended it.

When the children of Israel said we want to have a King, it was not God's intention. It was God's second best. One day, he will reign. Until then, until that kingdom is established, the millennial kingdom is set up, the Kingdom of God operates on a lower key. It's to those people who say Jesus rule over my life as King. The kingdom comes to that person. And when Jesus rules over a person's life, that person is in the Kingdom of God.

But one day, one day, it will be the ultimate kingdom, and you will reign with Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Can't wait for that day. Until then, it is lower key. It is still wonderful. And you know what? For those of us who are Christians, I've said this many times before. As bad as this earth may get, and as bad as the trials of this earth may get, this is the closest we're going to get to hell. And that's good news. That should make you excited.

If you're an unbeliever, this earth is the closest you'll get to heaven. That's not good news. It will only get worse from here on out. It might temporarily get better, but eternally, it won't get better. It's better to have the ruling and reigning of the savior in your life now so that you can enter into that kingdom of theocracy in the end times.

Now, the rest of chapter nine, all the way to chapter 10 verse four, speaks about the northern kingdom being exiled, being taken captive. And so Isaiah now goes back to the present, and he speaks about the problems of exile. Now, over in chapter 10 verse five-- where are we for time? Boy, we're doing great. We're already in chapter 10.

Chapter 10 through five, all the way to chapter 12. Now, we're not going to cover all of Isaiah like this, but all the way to chapter 12 verse six, it speaks about the fall of Assyria, that great kingdom who is threatening to destroy the nation of Israel. And there's a contrast between the fall of Assyria, and the rise of God's kingdom. Now, look in chapter 10 at verse 15.

Shall the acts boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw magnify itself against him who saws with it? That chapter 10 verse 15. As if a rod could wield itself against those who lifted up, or as if a staff could lift up as if it were not wood. Therefore, the Lord, the God of hosts, will send leanness upon the fat ones, and under his glory, he will kindle a burning like the burning of a fire

So the light of Israel will be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame. It will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. It will consume the glory of the forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body, and they will be as when a sick man waifs away. Than the rest of the trees of his forest will be so few in number that a child could write them or count them.

Now, keep in mind, this little analogy of the trees, it's very important as we get in to the next section here, but look in verse 20. It shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, as such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

The remnant will return the mighty of Jacob to the mighty God. For though your people, o Israel, be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them will return. And that very much was the case. When the captivity was ended in Babylon after 70 years, only a very tiny group of people in comparison to the numbers that are multiplied in Babylon, returned to Jerusalem. Very few wanted to go back and be pioneers. They had settled in Babylon.

It was nice. It was kickback. It was cruisey. And why leave this nice plush place just to go back to the religious center, Jerusalem? The walls are broken down. That would take hard work. And so just a small remnant return. Nevertheless, a remnant did return, and rebuild the nation.

Now, look over at Chapter 11 verse one. Look at the Chapter 10, verse 33. Behold the Lord. The Lord of hosts will lop off the bough with terror. Those high of stature will be hewn down. See the metaphor of trees again, cutting them down. And the haughty will be humbled. He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the mighty one.

Now, we've just learned about how God will cut down armies, nations, and people who are haughty, the Assyrians. Those trees of Lebanon, he will cut them down. In contrast to that, notice verse one. There shalt come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse. From the stump. A branch shall grow out of his roots. 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. His delight is in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears.

There's a contrast between cutting down Assyria, and the rising up of the messianic kingdom. And notice, a little shoot-- or as it says here, a rod from the stem of Jesse, who is the father of King David. In other words, from the house of David will come a person. How do you know it's a person? Because in verse two it says the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. This is the promise of what God promised Abraham and David. That from the seed of David, a King would reign upon the throne of Israel.

The promise was thought to be inactive after Zedekiah died. The nation went into captivity. And ever since Zedekiah left the throne, there has not been a descendant of David upon the throne, nor shall ever be until Jesus Christ returns, who is heir of David through his father Joseph, or suppose father Joseph, and will sit upon the throne to rule and reign forever, and ever.

Now, it says 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 fear of the Lord. Six things. It's sort of an interesting analogy here that you have the main shoot that comes out, and attached to him are six branches, very much like the menorah that you see behind me-- the symbol of the state of Israel. That which was placed in the worship of the Tabernacle in the Old Testament. The vine and the branches of the son. And so we see, as some people call it, the sevenfold working of the Holy Spirit.

His delight is in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, or decide by the hearing of his ears. How wonderful that would be, for our justice system is very corrupt. Our justice system is corrupt, I believe, because men are corrupt. Men and women are corrupt. I mean it in a generic way. People are corrupt because people cannot test the motives. We can judge by the actions.

When Jesus reigns, he will not only be able to decide by the action, but by the motivation behind it. With righteousness, he will judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the Earth with a rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips, it says, he shall slay the wicked.

Now, the scripture says in Thessalonians that when Jesus returns, he will slay the anti-Christ with the word of his lips. During that time, the world will be engulfed in a war called the Battle of Armageddon. The kings from the east, from China, will come against and meet people from the west, Western Europe, and so forth, and meet in the Mid-east on a battlefield known as the Battle field of Armageddon in the valley of Mageddon. That wide plane of [INAUDIBLE].

The anti-Christ will be so powerful that people will say who can make war against him? Who can prevail against him? And just when the world is overwhelmed with the power of the anti-Christ, Jesus Christ will come, and slay him with the word of his lips. It's actually not a battle at all. People kind of read that, and think there's this battle going on between Jesus and the anti-Christ. Who's going to win? It's really not going to be a battle. He's just going to speak, and

[POOF]

he's gone. The scripture speaks of the power of the word of God. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He said "light be," and light was. That's how it's rendered in Hebrew. Light be, light was. He can speak things into existence. He can speak things out of existence, and people out of existence. The anti-Christ will be slayed by the word of Jesus Christ. It says in Hebrews, by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.

How wonderful to be able to create things like that. I think we need a few rings around that planet. All right, change the colors a little bit. Great. OK, I like that. Just to be able to speak with the word, and have it into existence.

Now, verse six through nine, it talks about some of the changes that will occur during the Millennium-- this 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth. It says the wolf shall dwell with the lamb. As you look around at the world today, this is not what God intended. Creation is out of whack because of the curse of sin. It's all mixed up. It's all mumbo jumbod.

Originally, when God created this universe, there was a peacefulness. There wasn't the predatory nature within animals. You'd turn on Wild Kingdom or something, and you see this animal eating up another animal. That's not how God intended it. That's because the creation is under the curse of God.

And Paul said creation groans and travails, waiting for the deliverance, and the manifestation of the sons of God for that final redemption because of the curse that the creation is subject to. It says the leopard shall lay down or lie down with the young goat. The calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together, and a child shall lead them. You, as a mother, are going to watch little Johnny go out there, and grab a lion. And your first instinct will be

[GASP]

And you'd go, oh no, wait a minute, Isaiah 11. That's right. Because the lion will be tamed. Now, I imagine that a lion would be a blast to have as a pet, were it tamed. To be able to get on a lion, and hold its main, and just cruise down the block. Go see your friends riding a lion. It would be a great pet. The ultimate kitty cat. And a child will lead them.

Nathan asked-- after he was potty trained, we promise him if you get potty trained, we'll give you a kitty cat. During that time, if he gets potty trained, or your kids, you'll get him a lion or something. It says the cow and the bear shall graze. Their young ones shall lie down together. The lion shall eat straw like the ox. It won't be carnivorous anymore. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole. See little Jeannie sticking her hand down that hole, that snake hole, wont' bother you.

And the weened child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt, nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as waters cover the sea. That's how God intended his creation. The earth to be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea. And in that day, there shall be a root out of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner for the people.

For the gentiles shall seek him-- people who are non-Jewish. As the gospel went forth to all the nations, his resting place shall be glorious. 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 who are left from Assyria, Egypt, Pothros, Kush, from Elam, Shinar, Haman, and the islands of the sea. How many interpreters interpret this in this way. The first time was when the children of Israel left Egypt, and was brought to Israel.

The second time was after the captivity, they were brought into the land. I don't agree because it says the remnants shall return. The only time a remnant returned after being persecuted and put in all of these countries the first time was after the Babylonian exile. The second time was May 14th 1948 when all the Jews were allowed to come back in their land. Now, the total fulfillment of that we don't see. We see the initial fulfillment. The Jews are still flooding back into their land. As

Even Jews in this last year were allowed to come from the Soviet Union to Israel, and what a beautiful policy the nation of Israel has regarding people coming in who are Jews. The nation of Israel is facing the most incredible economic crunch. Talk about inflation. You want to see inflation? You know, we get bummed out when the interest rate goes up a half a point. If it went up by half a point or even 10 points in Israel, they'd rejoice. Inflation is crazy over there.

Yet, all of these Jews from Russia are coming into the land of Israel. There's no place to put them. But I was talking to a friend of mine over there-- a Jew-- on the phone not too long ago. And he said, even though they're coming in, even though we don't have jobs for them, and even though we don't have houses for them, we are so glad they're coming in because they're our brothers. And so God is still bringing to pass this Exodus back into the land.

He will set up a banner for the nations, will assemble the outcasts of Israel, gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. He will gather them from the four corners of the earth. Now, if you put this together with Matthew Chapter 24, all of a sudden, bing, a light goes on as far as what the future holds.

I'm going to read something to you out of Matthew 24, and show you how many people interpret it. And because of the passage we just read in Isaiah, why I disagree with it. It says in Matthew 24, immediately after the tribulation of those days, verse 29, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Then the sign of the son of man will appear in the heaven. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

And some people will say, well, the church is going through the tribulation, you see. And after the tribulation, when Jesus returns, that's when he'll gather the church-- his elect. Well, I don't want to let you down, burst your bubble, but you're not the elect that God is speaking about here. Israel is the elect. Although you're special the God, his elect, spoken about in Matthew 24, is not the church. Sorry about that. It's the Jewish nation.

Jesus even uses the same language structure out of Isaiah, which says, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Speaking of Israel, the regathering of Israel toward the end of the tribulation period, the culmination of that. Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart. The adversaries of Judah shall be cut off. On and on, I'm not going to read the whole chapter.

Chapter 12 is like a Psalm. It's a very short hymn of praise. It is the kind of worship that occurred after the captivity as they were brought back into the land. But also, I believe it's prophetic of worship during the millennial kingdom as everything's perfect now. Oh Lord, I will praise you. Though you are angry with me, your anger is turned away, and you comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid.

For Yah-- or as some say, the Lord Yahweh, Jehovah-- the Lord is my strength and my song. He also has become my salvation. I want you to look at verse three. Therefore, with joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation. That's one of the important verses in the Old Testament for this reason.

Remember in the New Testament we read about a feast that Jesus attended known as the Feast of Tabernacles? The Feast of Tabernacles takes place in the fall of the year, and the Jews celebrate it in the temple area, and all around Jerusalem. They celebrate the fact that God kept their forefathers safe and provided for through the wilderness march of 40 years in the desert, leaving Egypt, and going into Canaan.

They celebrate it by building booths that you live in for seven days if you're a good orthodox Jewish person. If you're really not totally devoted, you might build a little structure, and go in for five minutes, and have a cup of coffee, and go to work. But you build the booth. It's a symbol of this transient kind of housing because you went in tents. Your forefathers traveled in tents across the great wilderness.

If you lived in Jerusalem during Jesus' time, they had a ritual. Picture yourself in Jerusalem. It's 2000 years ago. You walk up to the temple. Big, flat stone, massive structure. As you go up there, you notice that there's a procession going on. At the head of the procession is a priest. The priest is carrying a jug, and he goes down the hill to the Pool of Siloam, puts water in the jug, walks up to the temple, goes up to the altar of sacrifice, and pours the water out.

As he pours the water out, he says out loud at the top of his voice, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And all the people in the temples, yourself included, if you were there that day to worship, would respond by saying therefore, with joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation. You do that every day for seven days. On the eighth day, the priest and all the people did it twice.

And finally, when they poured that last jug of water all over the temple, symbolic of the fact that God brought water out of the rock for your forefathers as you travel to the desert-- and all the people said, with joy, you will draw water from the well of salvation. It was at that point that the scripture says Jesus lifted up his voice, and he cried, "If anyone thirst, let him come unto me and drink." For out of his innermost being will flow waters-- rivers of living water. You can see the impact.

At just the right time, the momentum that he was gathering as they were pouring water on the Temple Mount. With joy, you will draw waters. If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. Not from the wells of salvation, but inside, as you yourself are saved and refreshed, it will gush out to other people. He made that powerful statement there in John Chapter seven at the Feast of Tabernacles, and he was playing off, I believe, this verse in Chapter 12.

Now, chapter 13-- and we have to end here. But let me give it to you this way. Chapters 12 to 23 are a series of proclamations against various nations-- Moab, Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, on, and on, and on. It's a series of prophetic judgments. We're not going to read all of them. We're going to skip a large section of them, and that's because remember, this prophecy was given over a period of 58 years.

As different generations were growing up, they would hear from time to time the message of Isaiah to the people, and the message-- the proclamations of judgments against the other nations. I doubt that these messages were actually delivered to the other nations. It was simply for the chosen people of Israel to hear so that they would understand what God would do to punish the people who are coming against them to persecute them.

And so we'll speak about this more next week, except to say that we will touch on Chapters 13 and 14 next time, and we're going to skip about 10 chapters, and get into it around Chapter 25 or something like that. But Babylon is always interesting to discover because Chapter 13 is a judgment against Babylon

And Babylon plays an important part, historically and spiritually, for the future because we read about spiritual and economic Babylon in Chapter 18 and 19 of the Book of Revelation. And so we want to kind of touch on that because God speaks here about Babylon, historically, but also Babylon, spiritually. And even we have recorded the fall of Lucifer, Satan, and the origin of evil in Chapter 14. So we'll discuss that next week. Let's pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we can only imagine with the language that you have given to us what the kingdom age will be like. A time of total restoration of the earth. A time when all of creation will be completely subject to you, and tamed, and we look forward to that time, Lord. Until them, we are honored to be a part of your kingdom.

The kingdom of heaven is near. The Kingdom of God is near because the King is in residence in our hearts. What a wonderful thing it is to know, Lord, and for those of us who follow you, that this is the closest we'd ever get to hell.

And yet our heart grieves as we think of the possibility of a person simply because of the pride, of the unyieldedness, of the unteachable nature, not giving their lives over to you, the one who made them, the creator. How that kind of a will, that kind of a stance could separate a person eternally.

We know, Lord, that you don't want that. We know that you desire all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. Father, we pray for anyone who might be in this room tonight who hasn't made you the King, the ruler of their lives. Or we pray that you would now touch their hearts as you have been throughout the evening, as you have been convincing them that they can't fool you.

You've been convincing them that you have a plan for them. You've been convincing them that they ought to give their lives to you. We pray, Lord, that you would give them now the strength to make a firm choice to give the control of the reins of their life over to you. That's our prayer, Lord. We ask that you would perform that. And as we are in that state of prayer, asking God

Additional Messages in this Series

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2/25/1990
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Isaiah 1-2
Isaiah 1-2
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3/4/1990
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Isaiah 3-6
Isaiah 3-6
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3/18/1990
completed
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Isaiah 13-24
Isaiah 13-24
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3/25/1990
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Isaiah 25-28
Isaiah 25-28
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4/1/1990
completed
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Isaiah 29-30
Isaiah 29-30
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4/8/1990
completed
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Isaiah 31-36
Isaiah 31-36
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4/22/1990
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Isaiah 37-38
Isaiah 37-38
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4/29/1990
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Isaiah 39-43
Isaiah 39-43
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5/6/1990
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Isaiah 44-52
Isaiah 44-52
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5/13/1990
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Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53
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6/3/1990
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Isaiah 54-57
Isaiah 54-57
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6/10/1990
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Isaiah 58-60
Isaiah 58-60
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6/17/1990
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Isaiah 61-66
Isaiah 61-66
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There are 13 additional messages in this series.
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