The End Time Drama
In Isaiah


ISAIAH 11 and 12
 
 
 
11.1
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

 
 
11.2
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

 
 
11.3
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

 
 
11.4
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

 
 
11.5
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

 
 
 
11.6
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

 
11.7
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

 
11.8
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

11.9
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

11.10
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

11.11
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

11.12
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

11.13
The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
11.14
But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
11.15
And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.

11.16
And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.



12.1
And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comforted me.
12.2
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
12.3
Therefore
And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
12.5
Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
12.6
Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Jesus Our Messiah and Judge
The Role of the Remnant

Jesus, the Son of God becomes the Son of Jesse — He takes on human form.

Acts 13:22,23 I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.

JESUS! The true remnant! He's the One that keeps the remnant. He's the One who sustains them, delivers them and takes them to His kingdom. Without Jesus there is no hope, no life, no future. With Him is justice, faithfulness and a glorious future. He is the true remnant and all who walk with Him, and abide in Him, become part of the remnant.

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost , was led by the Spirit
Rev.1:4 Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

These seven spirits are described here in Isaiah as:
1. Spirit of Truth, 2. Wisdom, 3. Understanding, 4. Counsel, 5. Might,
6. Knowledge, 7. Fear of the Lord;
all can be ours if we also yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Christ was fitted for the conflicts of life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit — so it can be with us.

Jesus was taught by the Holy Spirit while on earth. He astonished the great men with His wisdom and deep understanding. We too, can be taught by the Holy Spirit if we yield to His guiding.

1 Cor. 2:10 But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
2.12 Now we have received, the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
2:13 Which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

This same Jesus, who took on human form and lived a righteous life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is now our judge.

He is a fair and just judge. He does not judge by outward appearances.

1 Samuel 13:7 For the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Is the heart yielded to Christ? Has the heart sought after the Lord and His salvation? Have we come to Christ for forgiveness, seeking His grace in our lives?
The people who cling to their sins will be destroyed, while those who have repented and yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit for righteousness, will be rewarded.
The investigative judgment determines your connection with God -- are we connected with the vine and bringing forth the fruits which every branch truly connected will bring forth --
Those who do not produce fruit will be cut off and burned. Why? Because they are not really connected to the vine! (See John 15:1-6)

The question will not be were they sinners? We are all sinners. The question will be -- did they come to Christ, their high priest, for justification and cleansing, connecting themselves wholly -- with the whole heart -- to Christ in loving service and obedience?

DO WE APPRECIATE GOD'S RULE -- do we love His ways of righteousness. If we are truly connected the answer will be YES.

For if we walk with ONE whose "righteousness is his belt and faithfulness his reins" we will become like Him and also belt ourselves with righteousness and faithfulness will be our reins.

With the breath of His mouth He will slay the wicked. In another place it says:

2 Thess. 2:8 Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The symbolism is both of a plant -- Christ is the stem growing from the roots to which we must be attached to bring forth good grapes (see Isaiah 5 on the Wild Grapes), yet there is also the concept of a rod. The rod of guidance and judgment. In Revelation we find there is also a rod of iron with which the death blow is administered to the wicked--the executive judgment.

Reward of the righteous is life in God's peaceful world.

The government of the kingdom of Christ is like no earthly government. There will be no hurt, nor destruction in all of the Christ's kingdom which will someday fill the whole earth. The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in heart and mind that all must experience who would partake with him of the new life in the kingdom of God.

"Except a man be born again," the Savior said, "he can not see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
The religion that comes from God is the only religion that can lead to God. In order to serve him the way we aught, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, and give us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us willing obedience to all his requirements.

Soon our Savior is to appear to bring deliverance and glorious rest. Let us by faith contemplate the blessed future God has in store for us, as pictured in the Word of God. He who died for the sins of the world, is opening wide the gates of Paradise to all who believe on Him. Soon the battle will have been fought, the victory won. Soon we shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. And in His presence the trials and sufferings of this life will seem as nothingness.

To live in a world where there is no destruction, pain or grief after the tumult of this world will be glorious.

We need to take note of a few interpretation principles. Isaiah wrote first of all for his people. His prophecies are tremendous treasures for our time, however they were addressed to his time as well and we need to be aware of this:
God called a special people to be the "keepers of His truths" as it were.
These people were the Israelites. Great promises were made to the father of this nation, Abraham. All nations were to be blessed through his seed.
The children of Israel were to occupy all the territory which God appointed them. Those nations that rejected the worship and service of the true God were to be dispossessed. But it was God's purpose that by the revelation of His character through Israel people everywhere should be drawn to Him. Israel was to be as a light to all nations.
Israel however, failed, Assyria and later Babylon came with their armies and demolished their cities, took the people captive or killed them. For a while it seemed that Israel had come to an end before any promises of a Messiah had come true.
Were the promises of Israel being regathered fulfilled?
Yes, we know that in 457 BC Israel began it's second probationary time of 490 years. A nation that had been decimated and to all appearances destroyed. It's cities, temple, fields and villages razed to the ground, was given a fresh new beginning.
Oh the marvelous plans God had for His people.
They were to enter into a covenant relationship with Him.
He was to come to them personally as their Messiah.
If they would have accepted HIM those wonderful promises of a near utopic kingdom would have all come true.
What did occur was the sad truth that an earthly glorious kingdom is totally impossible in a world where the kingdom of grace does not reign within the heart. When Christ sets up His kingdom only those who have His kingdom of grace firmly in their hearts will be present. There can be no glorious kingdom in any other way.
So we will now return to the prophecies as they pertain to the last days.

Like Revelation, Isaiah has given us a foretaste of the glorious kingdom God will give to all who truly are His, before returning to the scenes of battle between good and evil that occur before this kingdom is realized.

We were given a glimpse into the end scenes that we might find courage like the psalmist describes in Psalms 73. To all appearances the wicked are prospering while God's faithful are having much trouble. The writer is perplexed and in doubt, thinking his relationship with God is all in vain, until he understands the sanctuary truth.:
73.13-14 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
73.17
Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
37.9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
Isaiah has given us that glimpse in Christ's sanctuary work, that we too will understand and cling to the Lord and His ways.

An Ensign is set up

An ensign is a banner. Christ is spoken of as an ensign, a rallying point. In verse 12 Christ sets up an ensign to rally His people. Revelation tells us the identifying feature, or the banner of the remnant is; "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Rev. 14:12.

Christ is the ensign and His rest shall be glorious.

Ezekiel 20.12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

Isaiah 56.5-6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keeps the sabbath from polluting it, and takes hold of my covenant;
Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer:

The Sabbath is a sign of Christ's rest. To enter into His rest upon the Sabbath, is to put aside our own work to rest in Him. People do not realize that offering God one of there work days is an act of works— an I will work my own salvation in my own way deal— rather than trusting in God and following His way. The Sabbath is like a sanctuary in time, set there by God Himself, in which we can begin to experience eternity and its peace.

Yes, God will set up His ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel. The message will go to all the world, many will respond, but God's commandment keeping people will be out casts.

God will gather all His faithful people, none will be left behind.

Matt. 24.31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

All adversaries are destroyed. God's people have put aside all envy and strife. God's people are known by their love. (1 John 3:14)

The sins of Babylon have been laid open by courageous workers for God. By these fearful warnings many will be stirred. Thousands of the so called "heathen" will respond and obey God.

And as the enemies of God's people close in on them, intent on their destruction, God will rescue them as He rescued the Israelites from the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

Rev.16.12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

The road the remnant have chosen is a through road to heaven. The wicked have chosen the dead-end street, even though at times it seemed to be the opposite.

Isaiah 12
Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving

In the day of deliverance the saved will praise God—
— He comforted me
— He is my salvation
— He is my strength
— He is my song
— He is my courage

In that day, the day of God's deliverance, we will say "Oh Lord, I will praise Thee" Heaven will be cheap enough, no matter what the suffering and tribulation that happens now. If we could see the end from here we would not be so easily discouraged.

We may have trials to pass through that are keen and cutting, in order that we may be purified and fitted through suffering to receive the seal of God, to see the King in His beauty and dwell in the presence of a Holy God forever and ever.

Behold God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. There is only one source, one way to life, and that is in God. We must not look to earthly powers, promises, pleasures, etc. Even though at the time they seem to offer the easier, better way. We must trust God fully, for only He is dependable, if our lives are consecrated to Him, we need not be afraid.

Therefore with joy shall we draw water from the wells of salvation.
"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. Like a desert traveler seeking the springs of water and finding it, quenches His burning thirst, so should we thirst for and obtain the water of life, of which Christ is the fountain. We need not turn to the polluted streams of human philosophies and teachings, for the great fountain is open for us.

Sing unto the Lord
For He has done excellent things!
Let this be known in all the earth.

Isaiah 5 -Wild Grapes
Isaiah 8 -Avoid the Confederacy
Isaiah 9 and 56,58 Sabbath and New Covenant
Isaiah 10 Oppressive Laws
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